1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



425 



Now, lastly, why does not some enterpris- 

 ing queen-breeder go to raising black queens 

 and offer them for sale, if they are superior 

 or even equal to Italians? 



Twenty years ago I saw^ many advertise- 

 ments in the journals offering Cyprians, 

 Syrians, etc., for sale; but these have been 

 crowded out, as well as nearly all others, by 

 the Italian bee; and these could not have 

 held this almost world-wide prestige were it 

 not for the fact that they jiossess merit. 



Robbery? Oh, yes! Why did not our 

 friend mention that beautiful characteris- 

 tic of the blacks? and if some of the things 

 we are reading about of late in regard to 

 black brood be true, that Italians are im- 

 mune, then I for one feel safe in keeping 

 my Italians, which are mostly pure, and 

 which I have bred up to such a point that I 

 know just about what they will do under 

 certain conditions. There is a good deal, 

 my friends, in being acquainted with your 

 bees. 



Randolph, N. Y. 



PREVENTING AFTER-SWARMING. 



BY H. B. HARRINGTON. 



After-swarming is a nuisance to any bee- 

 keeper. The swarms are generally small 

 and valueless, and the parent colony is 

 ruined for honey production, so after-swarm- 

 ing should be prevented if possible. Sup- 

 pose the bee-keeper is producing comb hon- 

 ey, and is indifferent to increase. He gives 

 section room as fast as his bees need it; but 

 a first swarm issues in this case. I think it 

 best to hive the swarm and place it on a 

 new stand, as I think as iBuch honey will 

 be obtained from the two as from the one 

 without swarming, as this satisfies their 

 natural desire, and they will work with all 

 their native energy. But after-swarming 

 should be prevented in every case; and the 

 best way is to remove all surplus queens 

 from the parent colony. It is a bother to 

 have a second swarm issue. The young 

 queens are smart on the wing, the swarm 

 does not settle quickly, and often alights in 

 a difficult place; but it must be secured and 

 returned, or the parent colony will produce 

 no more comb honey. 



I think it is a good plan to examine the 

 parent hive the evening after a first swarm 

 has issued, so as to know something of the 

 age of the cells. Do not remove any of 

 these, as they will be rebuilt. But about 

 four or five days after the first swarm has 

 issued (according to the age of the cells) , 

 listen at the hive every night and morning. 

 Place your ear against the rear of the brood- 

 chamber so you can hear the internal 

 sounds of the hive. The bees are stiller just 

 at night and in the early morning. If the 

 colony intends to cast a second swarm, the 

 first-hatched queen will utter a cry which 



sounds thus: "Key, key, key, "quite often. 

 Another unhatchtd queen will respond the 

 same, only in a hoarser lone. This is the 

 proper time to operate on the parent hive. 

 Select the time of day most convenient, as 

 robbers are not generally troublesome at 

 this time. Get another brood-chamber (two 

 are better), the same as the parent hive, 

 with honey-boards or sacks to cover the 

 same if there is any robbing. The young 

 queen very rarely enters the sections, so 

 these can be removed and set aside. Raise 

 a frame and hold it a few feet from the hi\e 

 so as to hear the queen should you have her 

 on this frame. Place this frame in one of 

 the empty hives, and so with all the rest. 

 If the queen is located, place this comb in 

 the other empty hive. The last comb may 

 be thoroughly examined for cells. Have 

 the small blade of your knife sharp, and re- 

 move every cell. Place these on a hive- 

 top. 



May be some of the queens are just gnaw- 

 ing out. If they are good stock they can 

 be savtd. After cutting off all cells that 

 can be seen, shake the bees into the old hive 

 and again examine the comb for more cells. 

 This comb might be turned bottom up so 

 as to see the cell ends. Remove all cells, 

 capped, uncapped, or hatched; look sharp, 

 and be thorough. Do this to all the combs 

 as they are returned to the old hive. See 

 the young queen safe in the old hive. Keep 

 your eye on the removed cells, as queens 

 are pretty sure to come out. Cut open ev- 

 ery cell, as sometimes a queen emerges from 

 a cell, leaving the cap hanging to one side. 

 A worker will enter the cell, and another 

 Morker will seal down the cap and imprison 

 this bee. On opening this cell you will find 

 a dead worker with its head at the bottom 

 of the cell, the reverse of the queen. 



You should have a queen for every cell 

 but one. If more than one there are two 

 queens in the hive, and a swarm will surely 

 issue. It might be a good plan to cage all 

 queens you find hatched and on the combs, 

 as you might return one and have to look 

 her up. If you have two queens in the hive 

 you must look one up. Leave only one. It 

 is a good plan to listen the evening after 

 operating on a hive. You might hear the 

 queen, but she will soon stop if no other 

 queen is in the hive. If you hear two voices 

 you must look up one of the queens. I 

 think this is the best and easiest way to 

 prevent after-swarming. If you should hear 

 no queens after listening a week or more, 

 examine the hive. If you find a cell open 

 on one side there will be no more swarm- 

 ing. You need not listen over five minutes 

 at one time. You will soon get so you can 

 do this in a short time — at least I would 

 rather do it than return a swarm; and you 

 woukl have to do it if you wanted the swarm 

 to stay. Out of 25 hives operated on I gen- 

 erally have but one second swarm. You 

 should examine the parent hive about three 

 weeks after the first swarm issued, to see if 

 the young queen is laying. 



Lyndon Center, Vt.", Jan. 29. 



