JUNE 1, 1912 



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(B(n)[iDW(S[p©siGD(D[jQ^ wuillh [d]®(dDd{]GD© 



At Borodino, New York 



SIGNS OF SWARMING. 

 None of the books say much that is of any service 

 to the ordiBary apiarist, about the reliable signs of 

 swarming. How do you know that a colony is 

 about to swarm? 



I suppose the reason the books have little 

 to say about "the reliable signs of swarm- 

 ing" is because these reliable signs are 

 mostly missing in an outside diagnosis re- 

 garding the issuing of the first or prime 

 swarm from any colony. Of course there 

 are indications that point toward the time 

 when the prime swarm may issue; but it 

 frequently happens, after all, that the sea- 

 son for watching for swarms may pass away 

 without the issuing of a single swarm. 

 Again, some of these signs may not appear 

 at all; yet a swarm will issue, and one can 

 hardly believe his eyes in seeing the bees 

 pouring forth from that colony which he 

 supposed would be the last to swarm. 



There is no need of watching for swarms 

 before the fruit trees blossom, in any local- 

 ity where such trees abound, as these are 

 tlie first which give nectar enough to tempt 

 swarming; and, as a rule, with colonies in 

 normal condition, not one swarm issues dur- 

 ing fruit bloom, even in large apiaries, more 

 than one season out of five. To digress: 



If a colony supersedes or loses its queen 

 five or six days before fruit bloom opens, 

 then one may expect swarms from that col- 

 ony about the middle of fruit bloom, if the 

 colony is strong in bees. But such a swarm 

 could not be considered a prime swarm, al- 

 though it might properly be called a first 

 swarm. A prime swarm is one issuing with 

 the old or mother queen which has lived in 

 the colony over winter. To be a little more 

 definite, any swarm with the accompanying 

 queen being the mother of the bees compos- 

 ing the swarm, can be properly called a 

 prime swarm. All other swarms, or those 

 having virgin or unfertile queens, should 

 be classed as after- swarms, even though 

 they are the first swarms of the season. 

 But no swarm need be expected during fruit 

 bloom, except from very strong colonies, 

 and such colonies are the exception at this 

 time of the year in the greater part of the 

 United States. Swarms during fruit bloom 

 are hardly frequent enough to pay any one 

 to neglect other work to keep wati-h. 



We used to have a good fiowof nectar from 

 the black locust, which came long enough 

 before the clover so that considerable swarm- 

 ing was done at the beginning of clover; but 

 the most of these trees, being of value for 

 fence-posts, have been cut down, so that 

 source of supply is cut off. When clover 

 appears, one may expect swarms from all 

 colonies which have become strong enough 

 so that the bees cluster out on sultry days; 

 and by the time the clover bloom has yield- 

 ed nectar for a week or ten days, swarms 

 are likely to issue from any colonies which 

 may be considered fairly good ones. 



The above is about all that can be said 

 from merely outside appearances. Some 

 say that bees scraping the outside of the 

 hive, many drones flying, or any strong col- 

 ony that has been at work with vigor, and 

 then appears listless, are sure signs that a 

 swarm will issue within a day or two; but 

 from over forty years of experience I fail to 

 find these any thing more than a "happen 

 so." 



If one looks inside the hive he can get 

 much closer to indications regarding the is- 

 suing of the prime swarm; but even this is 

 not altogether satisfactory. If he finds 

 queen-cells with drawn-out thin side walls, 

 in any strong colony at the beginning of 

 clover bloom, he naturallly comes to the 

 conclusion that eggs will soon be deposited 

 in these, when, as a rule, the swarm will is- 

 sue eight or ten days later. If eggs are in 

 these cells, then he may figure that the 

 swarm will issue from six to nine days later, 

 according to the length of time these eggs 

 have been deposited; for the rule is, three 

 days in the egg and six days in the larval 

 form, at which time the queen-cell is sealed 

 up; and with the sealing of this first cell 

 comes the issuing of the prime swarm, un- 

 less unfavorable weather interferes. But 

 for the apiarist with from 100 to 500 colonies, 

 this examination for queen-ceUs of different 

 ages is a task seldom undertaken. 



I said that, as a rule, the prime swarm is- 

 sues with the sealing of the first queen-cell. 

 Bui at times the exceptions will almost 

 equal the rule. Daring a year when the 

 bees seem to get the "swarming fever," lit- 

 tle attention is paid to rule, swarms issuing 

 with the laying of the first egg, or the hatch- 

 ing of the first larva, or at any point between 

 the egg and the sealing of the first cell 

 Then bad weather may keep the swarm 

 back until the young queens, which mature 

 seven days after the sealing of the cell, may 

 be cutting their way out of these cells. 



Over forty years of experience have taught 

 me that, four years out of five, nineteen out 

 of every twenty swarms issue according to 

 rule; and the smaller the apiary, the nearer 

 to the rule do they issue; that when they do 

 issue according to this rule, the first young 

 queen emerges from her cell seven days 

 after the prime swarm issues, begins to pipe 

 on the evening of the eighth day, and the 

 first after-swarm issues during the after- 

 noon of the ninth or the forenoon of the 

 tenth day after the issuing of the prime 

 swarm. The second after-swarm issues two 

 days later; and where more are tolerated, 

 an after-swarm will issue every day till the 

 colony becomes so weak that swarming is 

 given up. After-swarming may be prevent- 

 ed easily by cutting off or destroying all 

 queen-cells during the early morning of the 

 next day after a piping queen has been 

 heard the night before. 



