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VOL X. 



FLINT, MICHIGAN, JUNE. 10, 1897. 



NO 6. 



Factors Influencing the Cause of Swarming. 



A. ASPINWALl,. 



H 



R T Y - FIVE 

 years ago M. 

 (^ninby. in his first 

 edition of " Myster- 

 ies of Bee- Keeping 

 Kxiilained," as- 

 >i{;ued three req- 

 uisites as coiisti- 

 tutiufjthe cause of 

 swarming. I quote 

 from page 189. 

 " The comhs mast 

 be crowded with 

 bees; they mnst contiain a numerous brood 

 advancing from the egg to maturity; the 

 bees must be obtaining honey either by be- 

 ing fed or from the flowers. Being crowd- 

 ed with bees in a scarce time of honey is in- 

 sufficient to bring out the swarm, neither is 

 an abundance sufficient witliout the bees 

 and the brood. The period tliat all these 

 requisite* happen togcllier, and remain long 

 enough, will vary with different stocks, and 

 many times do not happen at all through 

 the season, with some." 



I cannot refrain here from giving expres- 

 sion to the wonderful accuracy of Mr. Quin- 

 by'a investigations. In discovering the 

 three recjuisites he was unaided by the mov- 

 able comb hive. With the advantages of 

 movable combs other minor factors 

 present themselves to the investigating 

 mind. 



By careful and comparative investigation 

 with a number of swarming colonies, we 

 find certain factors, although trivial in 

 themselves, entering into, and constituting 

 a force bending to a common end — swarm- 

 ing. 



Although it is generally conceded that the 

 three factors given by Quinby, are the req- 

 uisites which induce swarming, I shall 

 name one as the prime cause, with factors 

 which I shall hereinafter refer to, acting in 

 conjunction, constituting a force to hasten 

 or retard the impulse, proportiouly us they 

 are present. 



I will here state for the benefit of those 

 concerned that all my experiments the last 

 five or six years have been based upon the 

 foregoing fact. 



The first or prime cause of swarming is, 

 bees. As Mr. Quinby gave it, a crowded 

 condition. All the other factors may be 

 present, but without a crowded condition, 

 no swarms will be forthcoming. Of all the 

 adjunct requisites, a honey yield is the 

 strongest factor, and with the natural in- 

 crease of maturing l)ces, which tends to a 

 crowded condition, a large brood is usual- 

 ly present. Still, with a crowded condition, 

 although the flowers may yield no nectar, 

 swarms will occasionally issue, which is 

 evidence that an aljundance of bees consti- 

 tutes the strongest or prime factor. A 

 crowded condition renders their abode some- 

 what untenantable, and it also interferes 

 with the duties of the queen. 



