268 Beekeeping 



Direction of the beekeeper's efforts. 



The work of the beekeeper in swarm control may be 

 divided into two phases, for his manipulation of a colony 

 depends on his recognition of the degree of persistence in 

 swarming which a colony exhibits. He may try to increase 

 the number of colonies which make no preparations to swarm 

 and may prevent swarming in the colonies which respond 

 to simple measures. To these manipulations may be given 

 the name preventive measures. 



However, the beekeeper finds some colonies which he 

 knows from experience cannot be kept from swarming by 

 cutting out queen cells, by the removal of a frame or two of 

 brood or by other simple expedients. To describe the dif- 

 ference which the beekeeper recognizes is somewhat difficult, 

 but, in general, if the larvae in the queen cells are still small, 

 preventive measures may be used. In cases of the building 

 of queen cells obviously due to supersedure or when the 

 working force is relatively not so strong as the brood, an 

 artificial swarm should not be made. To the more drastic 

 measures, used on colonies with advanced larvae in the queen 

 cells which will persist in their preparations to swarm, the 

 name remedial measures 1 is proposed. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES 



These may be grouped under the three heads given be- 

 low. Whatever the system of management, the earliest 

 manipulations in swarm control will usually be preventive 

 measures, for the beekeeper cannot know very far in advance 

 which colonies will fail to respond to the less drastic manipu- 

 lations and in any event these will deter swarming in the 

 larger number of colonies. 



1 In Demuth's bulletin on "Comb Honey," he uses the term "control 

 measures," but the words "preventive" and "control" are not mutually 

 exclusive. 



