THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



169 



the best method is undoubtedly that 

 way, by which we maj' secure the 

 largest amonnt of surplus in market- 

 able shape. Swarminf;- appears to be 

 a strong natural instinct that mani- 

 fests itself under certain favorable con- 

 ditions. There are three principle 



conditions, usuall3' presen '. in natural 



•I. 

 swarming, viz: 



1. An abundance of n .ney in the 

 hive, and nectar in the fields. 



2. A populous colony with a queen. 



3. An abundance of brood. 



There are also minor conditions that 

 tend to promote swarming, such as, 

 superseding a queen; small brood 

 chamber; lack of ventilation; etc. 

 There are also minor conditions that 

 tend to check swarming; such as a 

 large brood chamber, shade, etc. 

 These minor conditions cannot of them- 

 selves be depended upon, either to pro- 

 duce swarming or prevent it. 



CONTROLLING CONDITIONS. 



But if we can control one or more of 

 the principal conditions, we have the 

 matter largely in our own hands. 

 Thus, if we could remove all honey 

 from the hive, and check the flow of 

 nectar in the flowers, all swarming 

 would c-iase. But, of course, we can 

 not do all this: but we can remove most 

 of the honey from the hive, with an ex- 

 tractor, and return the empty combs, 

 and this alone will often check, and, 

 sometimes, whoUj' prevent swarming. 



However, for securing section honey, 

 this method is quite impractical. 



Of the second principal condition, it 

 ma}' be said, that we can remove a large 

 part of the mature bees b}' moving the 

 hive to a new location, the old bees re- 

 turning to the old place, and this will 

 check, or whollj' prevent, swarming, 

 for a time, or until the hive is again 

 populous and honey comes is freely. 

 But this checks the storing of honey, 

 both in supers and the brood chamber. 



Again, we may remove the queen 

 alone from the colony preparing to 

 sw^rtn, aq4 all swarming will cease, 



as soon as she is missed, until a young 

 queen has hatched and is strong 

 enough to fly. This way necessitates 

 looking up the old queen, and removing 

 all sealed queen cells when the old 

 queen is removed, and, again eight 

 days later; as well as the introduction 

 of a queen still later, or the colony 

 will be ruined. If we fail to remove 

 every queen cell when the old queen is 

 removed, and, again, eight daj^s later, 

 our plans will be very liable to be 

 upset. 



This looking up of a queen, and the 

 cutting out of queen cells, often con- 

 sumes a good deal of time when we 

 can ill afl'ord to spare it. But this way 

 is of value in removing old and worth- 

 less queens, or for using the queen for 

 starting nuclei, early in the season. 

 Earl}' in the season the removal of one 

 or two combs of brood from strong col- 

 onies, every few days, will, for a time, 

 keep the swarming instinct under con- 

 trol; while the colony will remain 

 strong and able to do good work. 



The removal of the queen is another 

 way for removing or reducing the 

 amount of brood in a hive. As, after 

 her removal, no more eggs are laid, 

 and in two weeks two-thirds or more of 

 all brood in the hive will have 

 hatched. There being now only a 

 small amount of sealed brood, with no 

 eggs or larvae, we find the swarming 

 instinct becomes very feeble; a queen 

 may be given them with little or no 

 danger of swarming. I have found it 

 easier to introduce young virigin 

 queens, at this time, than is the case 

 with old laying queens, and on some 

 accounts much to be preferred. Col- 

 onies so treated will not, as a rule, 

 while queenless. work as well as new 

 swarms. 



Another wa}' of manipulating brood 

 so as to control this provoking instinct, 

 is to remove all brood from a hive as 

 soon as any sure indication of swarm- 

 ing appears, or even before, replacing 

 all combis ot brood with broodlesa 



