Swarm Control and Increase 279 



Remedial manipulations. 



The remedial measures so far discussed are useful for 

 colonies that have swarmed, in making the most of the parts 

 of the divided original colony. However, these require al- 

 most constant attention in some seasons and this is neces- 

 sary just when the beekeeper can least afford to give it, if he 

 is managing a large number of colonies. Because of the 

 desirability of the manipulations being in accordance with 

 the plans and schedule of the beekeeper, rather than at the 

 whims of the bees, as in natural swarming, beekeepers, 

 especially producers of comb-honey, have tried many ways 

 virtually to create the conditions which are found after 

 swarming, but to do this with advantage to the crop. By 

 such a system the comb-honey producer can maintain sev- 

 eral apiaries, visiting them at regular intervals, with a knowl- 

 edge that swarms will not issue in his absence, except in 

 those cases where every rule seems to fail. However, the 

 losses can be made so slight that it does not pay to keep an 

 assistant at each apiary, if the proper measures are adopted. 

 Fortunately for the beekeeper, bees give warning in advance 

 of the probability of the issuing of a swarm by building 

 queen cells. By examining each colony once in seven to ten 

 days during the swarming season, the beekeeper can subject 

 colonies making these preparations to the chosen manipu- 

 lation, which may be a preventive or a remedial measure, 

 depending on how far preparations for swarming have pro- 

 gressed. If the manipulations given under the title of Pre- 

 ventive Measures are inadequate, the colony may be handled 

 with another end in view, namely, to satisfy the desire to 

 swarm and to prevent permanent division. It is further 

 possible, especially in apiaries where increase is desired, so 

 to manipulate every colony before the swarming season 

 arrives that there will be little swarming, even in comb-honey 

 production, but since increase in the number of colonies 

 during or just before the honey-flow is at the expense of the 

 crop from that flow, beekeepers usually find it advanta- 



