Mav, 1919 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



289 



iiitorfLMo with this iuelination of the bees, 

 tht\v may resent the iiiterferem-e and work 

 less vigorously just at the time when we can 

 least afl'ord any loafing. 



This is the swarming problem afforded by 

 our locality; with our short and usually 

 rapid honey How, occuring just at the height 

 of the natural spring brood-rearing activity, 

 it becomes a problem of no small magnitude, 

 especially in comb-honey production. Dur- 

 ing occasional seasons, especially bad for 

 swarming, a majority of the colonies run 

 for comb honey may attempt to swarm, in 

 spite of all the precautionary measures we 

 have been able to apply. During practically 

 every season some colonies behave as tho 

 they thought swarming to be the sole pur- 

 pose of their existence and serious work to 

 be of minor consideration. 



We look upon the actual issuing of the 

 swarm as tlie culmination of a series of 

 events within the hive which began several 

 weeks previously. This makes it necessary 

 to recognize the oncoming of the menace 

 rather early in May in order to take pre- 

 cautionary steps to prevent its inception, 

 tho our swarming season occurs in June. 

 Precautionary Measures. 



By giving ample room of the right kind 

 for brood-rearing, it is not difficult to pre- 

 A tut all swarming previous to the begin- 

 ning of the honey flow. This room for 

 brood-rearing should be of such a character 

 that the brood-nest may be expaiided with- 

 out interruption. If a comb unfit for brood- 

 rearing is between the brood-nest and ad- 

 jacent 23erfect combs, it stands as a partial 

 barrier to the extension of the brood-nest. 

 A new comb, even tho perfect but in which 

 brood has never been reared, if placed in 

 the middle of the brood-chamber, some- 

 times offers an obstruction sufficient to 

 cause the queen to skip it and begin work 

 in an older and darker comb beyond. Combs 

 with stretched and misshapen cells in the 

 upper portion, which are so common with 

 horizontal wiring, become a partial barrier 

 to the extension of the brood-nest thru two 

 stories. These imperfect cells add to the 

 obstruction formed by the sticks and spaces 

 already there. In any case the partial limi- 

 tation of the brood-nest may be a factor to 

 help start the bees along the downward 

 road toward swarming. We have seen many 

 cases of early swarming from large brood- 

 chambers which had an abundance of comb 

 unoccupied. Apparently such colonies swarm 

 because the brood-nest itself was cramped 

 by the interposition of imperfect comb, 

 sticks, and spaces. 



Some of the finest combs we have in use 

 are relics of the days of reversible frames. 

 They were inverted th^ first season, which 

 caused the bees to extend the brood to the 

 top-bars, and the combs were thus so 

 strengthened by cocoons that they have 

 never sagged. The upper portion of these 

 combs does not prevent a free extension of 

 the brood-nest thru two stories, which is so 

 desirable at this time. 



When the combs are perfect and their ar- 

 rangement is such that the queen can work 

 in larger and larger circles,, we have not 

 found it necessary to exchange places 

 among them or in any way attempt to ex- 

 pand the brood-nest artificially to prevent 

 early swarming_ 



Comfort of the Bees. 

 Sometimes a week of warm weather may 

 occur before the winter packing cases are 

 removed or before the entrances are opened 

 wider for better ventilation in the spring, 

 resulting in great masses of bees hanging 

 outside the hive. Frequently queen-cells are 

 started under such conditions, aj^parently in 

 response to discomfort. Usually, however, 

 such colonies give up swarming if more 

 room is given. 



Later, during the honey flow, of course, 

 ventilation and shade are of great impor- 

 tance to insure the comfort of the bees 

 and, we think, to reduce the tendency to 

 swarm. We still use the old-fashioned, un- 

 sightly, projecting shade-boards on our 

 hives during the honey flow to prevent the 

 direct rays of the sun from striking the 

 hive cover and the sides of the supers. At 

 the same time the entrance is opened at the 

 full %-inch depth and the hives are shoved 

 forward on the bottom-boards to allow a 

 similar opening at the back, or the hives are 

 blocked up oft" tlie bottom-boards by means 

 of %-inch blocks. When shade-boards are 

 not used we think it is important that the 

 hive covers be painted white, and the paint 

 frequently renewed to prevent the absorp- 

 tion and transmission into the hives of so 

 much heat from the sun. 



Effect of New Work. 

 In order to hold the swarming instinct in 

 subordination the bees apparently need to 

 have their job laid out for them far in ad- 

 vance, so that its completion is never in 

 sight. If the brood-chamber is filled with 

 brood and early honey and this early-gather- 

 ed honey is being sealed down adjacent to 

 the brood, before work is begun in the super, 

 the bees seem to feel that their job is ap- 

 proaching completion and that it is time for 

 them to swarm. To prevent this condition 

 the supers should be put on before the be- 

 ginning of the main honey flow and every 

 inducement offered to entice the bees to be- 

 gin work in them promptly. In comb-hon- 

 ey production, bait combs in a few sections 

 may attract the bees into the supers before 

 the brood-chamber is completely filled, thus 

 bridging over the work from the brood- 

 chamber into the super before there can be 

 any suggestion of a completed job within 

 the brood-chamber. 



When the two-story colonies are reduced 

 to a single story at the beginning of the 

 honey flow we sometimes have some difficul- 

 ty in inducing the bees to accept gracefully 

 the new work in the comb-honey supers 

 given at that time. To reduce strong two- 

 story colonies to a single story and give 

 comb-honey supers containing foundation 

 only in the sections, is to invite every colo- 



