THE ITALIAN HONEY-BEE. 543 



of the most populous liives four or five combs containing: honey and neatly ma- 

 ture brood. Shake from them, into their own hive, the old or hatched bees, 

 and hang the combs properly into an empty hive, which should then be care- 

 fully closed so as to prevent the escape of the Italian queen, which should then 

 be placed in it by opening one of the holes in the honey-board over Avhere the 

 combs are hung, and dropping her through it on the top of a comb. Then 

 close the board, and, after removing the before-mentioned populous colony from 

 its stand to another at some distance, place the hive containing the Italian queen 

 on the stand from which the other was removed, and partially open its entrance. 

 The bees which have been out gathering honey, on returning to the accustomed 

 spot, will enter the hive containing the Italian queen. Gorged with honey, ex- 

 hausted by the fitigue of a long flight, disconcerted by the apparent desertion 

 which has taken place during their absence, and not knowing where to find 

 their original hive, they will at once adopt the new home and queen. 



If this operation is performed between the first of May and middle of June, 

 by filling the empty space left in both hives with empty frames, two colonies 

 may be formed of the one, which is one method of performing what is called 

 "artificial swarming." But if it be done after this period, and when the 

 scarcity of honey pasturage would render it unwise or unsafe to form a new 

 colony, then the native queen should at once be abstracted from her colony, and 

 a few hours later, when the workers have discovered their loss and have become 

 dispirited by their unsuccesful search for her, the hive containing the Italian 

 queen should be placed on a level spot of ground near its future stand, with a 

 swarming cloth tacked to and spread on the ground in front of it. Then, after 

 smoking or alarming the remaining bees contained in the original hive until they 

 are gorged with honey, they should be shaken from their combs on the SAvarm- 

 ing cloth. As soon as they have entered the hive, now placed on its stand, 

 (which they will do in a short time,) on their becoming quiet and composed, 

 open the hive and hang into it the remainder of their combs, thus by degrees 

 transferring the entire contents, except the native queen, from one hive to 

 the other. 



This process is somewhat tedious, but I have not yet learned of a single 

 instance where it has been unsuccessful, except by the escape of the Italian 

 queen before any of the bees had entered her hive ; and this may be prevented 

 by clipping one of her wings. As a colony Avill never receive a strange queen 

 so long as they possess a fertile one, in all the processes for introducing queens 

 the first act to be performed is the abstraction of the incumbent queen, and the 

 apprisal of the workers of their loss by shaking the bees from several combs 

 into their hives. This usually so alarms them that they proceed at once to 

 gorge themselves with honey, which renders them so docile and tractable that 

 I have, in a great number of cases, iutroduced Italian queens as soon after as 

 they indicated their consciousness oi the loss of their queen, by their moaning 

 noise, by simply taking the Italian queens by their wings, Avith the thumb and 

 forefinger of my right hand, and slowly and gently placing them on the top of 

 the combs of the queenless colony among the workers, still holding her fast, 

 hoxcei'cr, until the workers ind> '.ate their loillingness to receive and treat her kindly, 

 which they usually do by ofiering her food, and such other manifestations of 

 favor as they ha^{;ually display towards their own queen. This allays all her 

 fea^TS of violence iiom them, and when released, which may be done, if kindly 

 treaced, within a, minute after presentation, she will glide down between the 

 cotobs with perfect composure, which, in turn, allays all suspicion or excite- 

 meit among the workers, and relieves her from danger. If, however, on pre- 

 senting her, she is attackec* by the workers, she should, without delay, be with- 

 drawn, {without, however, nuikiug such a quick or rapid movement as to ex- 

 cite the \ees,) and the attacking bees instantly crushed. In the course of a 



