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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Aug-. 23, 1900. 



tive work of Europe. I think it is remarkably reliable as it 

 is fair and honest. The scientific part is especially able, 

 full and correct. I think all our American bee-keepers, who 

 feel able to do so, would profit by a careful reading of Mr. 

 Cowan's excellent work. 



In reading- these works it has been sug-gested to me that 

 an article on swarming might well be written. I find sev- 

 eral points with which my experience does not tally. I 

 write the article in no dogmatic spirit, and shall be glad to 

 have the points I make criticised by any one who thinks 

 they deserve criticism. 



WHY DO BKES SWARM ? 



I think without doubt bees are incited to swarm because 

 of something disturbing their peace. This is most com- 

 monly a crowded condition of the hive just at the dawn of 

 the honey harvest. The combs are full of brood, the hive 

 filled with bees, and the bees feel uncomfortably crowded 

 and thus are impelled to divide up or swarm. That this is 

 not the only cause is certain. Bees often swarm when they 

 are not crowded at all. I think the most common cause,' 

 other than crowded condition of the hive, is from lack of 

 honey. I have often known starvation to cause bees to 

 swarm out and push for a new home. Here it would seem 

 that they could not improve their condition by swarming, 

 and we must conclude that a disturbed state impels them to 

 act. An untidy condition of the hive also drives bees out, 

 or causes them to swarm. Nearly all bee-keepers in the 

 Northeastern part of the United States have not infre- 

 quently had early spring swarms after a cold, disastrous 

 winter. With spring came serious dysentery, and bees, 

 queen and all rusht forth for a new home. While this does 

 not seem so unreasoning as the last, the final result could 

 not be greatly different. 



When bees swarm naturally, that is, because of an over- 

 crowded condition of the hive, nearly all the bees that are 

 mature enough to fly, including drones and queen, push out 

 from the hive in the event of swarming. It is not true, 

 however, that the queen leads the swarm, as has often been 

 stated. As early as 1870, I commenced the practice of clip- 

 ping the queen's wings, and would advise all bee-keepers to 

 do so to-day. Thus I have many times watcht the swarm 

 as it issued from the hive, and likewise noticed the egress 

 of the queen. 



I find the queen rarely goes out until the last of the 

 swarming out of the bees. Again, it is often stated that in 

 case the queen does not join the bees in their swarming, 

 either because she cannot or will not ; then the bees do not 

 cluster, but return to the hive. The last part of this state- 

 ment, I think, is invariably true, that the bees will not go 

 off without the queen, but will always return to the hive. 

 It is not true, however, that they will not generally cluster. 

 In my experience they will almost always cluster, I think, 

 indeed, almost as often as the queen goes with them. For 

 I have known, very rarely, however, the bees to go forth 

 with the queen and yet return to the hive without clustering 

 at all. 



The time of swarming is generally from eleven to two, 

 or near the midda)- period ; yet I have known the time to 

 vary not a little from this. I have known swarms to come 

 forth at five or sis in the afternoon. The late Mr. Moon 

 once told me that he once knew a colony to swarm at the 

 time of full moon, in the mt)onlight. This erratic swarm- 

 ing as to time, I think is almost always limited to after- 

 swarms, where a young queen goes out with the bees. 



The place of clustering is a matter of some interest. A 

 tree or bush seems to be preferred, probably because it is 

 convenient for the bees to cluster on them. I have known 

 a post or fence to serve them in such way. The hight, too, 



at which the cluster is formed is a matter of interest. It is 

 usual for the first swarm with the old queen to cluster low ; 

 while after-swarms, which of course are attended by young 

 queens, may cluster far up in tall trees. I believe I have 

 known clusters as high as 30 feet, in tall trees. 



Why do bees cluster at all ? is often askt. We must re- 

 member that the old queen may not have tried her wings in 

 flight for over a year. That she is able to use her wing- 

 muscles at all is hard to understand. I believe that the 

 clustering is to give her a rest after her first exercise as she 

 flies out, before she takes her long journey perhaps of one 

 or two miles. It has been reported that bees sometimes do 

 swarm and not cluster at all. I have known one case of 

 this kind, myself. It was an after-swarm, and, of course, a 

 young queen went with the swarm. 



When do the bees select their new home ? is a question 

 of interest. It has been suggested that the bees cluster so 

 that scouts may go forth in search of a new home. I have 

 had positive evidence on several occasions that scouts go 

 forth one, two, or three days before, to look out and, clean 

 out their prospective home. Once it was in the side of a 

 house. The bees were noticed just before the dinner hour, 

 busily going in and out high up by the cornice. It was sup- 

 posed a colony had entered and taken possession. After 

 dinner, we were surprised to find that the bees had all gone. 

 We supposed that they had found their new home obnox- 

 ious. The next day a large swarm came and took posses- 

 sion of the place. I have since known a number of such 

 cases. I have little doubt but that this is always true, and 

 that the bees cluster simply to rest the queen. 



The rate of flight of the swarm is very various. I once 

 knew a swarm to fly nearly a mile, and one of my students 

 followed it on foot the whole distance and located its new 

 home. I have known other cases where one would need to 

 be well mounted to keep up with a colony. After-swarms 

 fly with more speed. 



We all know that there may be many queen-cells in the 

 old hive when a colony goes forth. I think that a first 

 swarm rarely if ever issues until one of these cells is capt 

 over. Some bees, especially the Carniolans, form an exces- 

 sive number of such cells. We know that often all these 

 queen-cells are destroyed after the queen emerges from the 

 first one. In case of such destruction the cells are always 

 cut open on the sides. If, on the other hand, the queen lib- 

 erates herself and comes out to fly forth, the cell is open at 

 the end. In case several swarms are to issue — I have known 

 five swarms to come out one after another from a single 

 colony — the bees guard the queen-cells so that the first 

 hatcht queen cannot destroy the others. As many bee- 

 keepers have observed, rarely several queens go forth with 

 a new swarm. Some of our ablest bee-keepers think that, 

 in such case, the queens have been held for some time in 

 the cells, and in the excitement of swarming, the guards 

 have lost their vigilance, and so several queens rush out 

 with the new swarm. Much more rarely two queens will 

 dwell together in a colony, for a time, both laying eggs. 



This article is quite long enough ; but I wish to give a 

 few rules which I think every bee-keeper will do well to ob- 

 serve. I believe under ordinary circumstances that we 

 would better be content with but one swarm per colony, 

 each year. 



I believe, too, that it is better always to clip the wings 

 of all the queens, as this saves labor, and very likely may 

 save loss, as no swarm will ever go off without a queen. 



If, then, we wish only one swarm per colony, it is well 

 worth while to study the most convenient method to limit 

 swarming. I believe by far the best method is the so-called 

 Heddon method. Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



