The Cycle of the Year 63 



may be delayed by inclement weather. 1 Swarming consists 

 of the departure of the old queen with part 2 of the workers 

 from the hive, leaving behind the brood, including the queen 

 cells, some adult bees and the stores, except such honey as 

 the workers are able to carry in their honey stomachs. 

 Before leaving, the bees gorge themselves until the abdomens 

 are distended and are thus provided with food for a few 

 days, in case the weather is inclement. The queen usually 

 lays fewer eggs just before swarming than is usual for that 

 season and her abdomen often becomes smaller, enabling 

 her to fly more easily. Frequently for a time before the 

 issuing of the swarm, the work of the colony in gathering is 

 decreased and many of the field bees remain at home, thereby 

 crowding the hive. The swarm usually issues on a bright 

 day about mid-day 3 and most of the workers in the hive at 

 that time leave with the swarm. Those in the field at the 

 time of swarming return to the hive and do not follow the 

 swarm. 



Stimulus to leave the hive. 



The stimulus to the act of swarming is not understood, but 

 it has been observed in hives with glass sides that bees in 

 various parts of the hive show signs of excitement, which 

 gradually spreads throughout the hive. Sometimes the 

 queen leaves among the first but she usually remains inside 

 until a considerable number have left the hive. Since a 

 swarm sometimes issues without a queen, she can scarcely 

 be considered the leader. This is also shown by the fact 

 that when the queen is caged, as a means of swarm preven- 

 tion, the bees sometimes swarm, leaving the queen in the cage. 

 When a queen is disabled so that she cannot fly or is detained 



1 Races of bees differ somewhat in the time of swarming. Italians tend 

 to swarm with the queen cells in an earlier stage of development than other 

 races. 



2 Why some go and others remain is not known. They are not sepa- 

 rated according to age nor duties. 



3 Swarms usually issue between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. but in warm sultry 

 weather may come out earlier, or quite late in the afternoon. 



