178 



TIIIC j;iu: KEErKRS' REVIEW. 



this, and Mr. M. A. Gill, in an article 

 in Gleanings, very clearly sets forth 

 these reasons. He says: 



"It is a fact patent to all, I think, 

 that a colony that is building a set 

 of combs in the brood-nest, and that 

 has at the same time ample storage 

 room in the super, has all desire to 

 swarm removed, and the necessity for 

 rapid comb-building for storage pur- 

 poses removed, and that the desire for 

 Avorkers in such a colony is pai'a- 

 mount. Hence nearly all the comb 

 that is built by the bees, and immedi- 

 ately occupied by the queen, is built, 

 A\'orker size, whether the queen be 

 one month old or three years old. 



I>ut to secure these conditions, every- 

 thing must be normal. The colony 

 must have a laying (pieen and an 

 ample tield force at the time they are 

 hived, whether the swarm is forced 

 cr natural. Again, it is necessary to 

 have a steady tlow of honey; but these 

 cojiditions nearly always prevail at 

 such times in Colorado. 



Any condition that will retard rapid 

 comb-building, like an old tiueen with 

 a good force of young bees and a small 

 field force, or a colony that has been 

 given a frame or two of brood to heip 

 them, and has a small tield force, oi 

 a colony, let it be large or small, that 

 is compelled to raise a queen, will in- 

 variably construct much drone com I) 

 But I think it is still safe and ad- 

 visable, here in Colorado. Avher" our 

 swarming season does not stammer 

 along through the year, as in oricMital 

 countries. Init is nearly all done in 

 twer.ty days after the honey-ilow be- 

 gins, to continue the use of starters 

 only in the brood-nest; and our re- 

 ward will be a good crop of the most 

 beautiful surplus honey that can l^e 

 raised, and brood-chandiers lilled. 

 with none too much drone comb, as 

 hundreds of my own and others" hives 

 will attest." 



PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



A Variation of the Shooli and Transferring 

 Process. 



Mr. Geo. Kockenbauch, in the Pro- 

 gressive Bee-Keeper, sets forth the ad- 

 vantages of the shook-swarming pro- 

 cess over that of natiu-al swarming, 

 and then goes on to tell of a plan that 

 he uses that he considers ahead of 

 the shook swarming. Among other 

 things he says: 



"An ordinary bee-keeper that has 

 been in the business for a number of 

 years will tell you that when a colony 

 gets to a certain strength, that is, af- 

 ter the white clover has been in blos- 

 som some 12 or 14 days, every colony 

 that was in good condition will have 

 one super half to three-fourths full. 

 But now comes the critical condition. 

 After said super is nearly full, the 

 colony A\-ill begin to loaf for a week 

 before it swarms, and this same Aveek 

 is lost if we wait for a natural swarm; 

 henceforth, be Avise and transfer Avlien 

 the super is half full. Some apiarists 

 Avill tell you that every colony Avill 

 ;jct different from others. Nonsense. 

 The bees must be controlled and made 

 to do that which aa'c Avish a la Aikin 

 Providing you have the bees, and there 

 is any nectar in the field, shook 

 swarms Avill Avork Avith the same vim 

 as the natural swarm, and doublin;; 

 that of a loafing old colony Avitli a lor 

 of worthless lirood after the fiow is 

 e\'er. 



My method is as follows: The col- 

 onies are grouped in pairs to l)egin 

 Avith in the spring. Colonies No. i 

 and No. 2 stand side by side. Spread 

 them about 18 inches, and place a 

 bottom-lioard Avith a Heddon half su- 

 yvv or hive between the tAVO hives, and 

 place in it sevtMi slialloAv frames Avith 

 one-half inch starters. Noav go to col- 

 ony No. 1 and pry oft" the super, but 



