38 



OTHER COMMON INSECTS 



overnight, but usually they are lost unless they are col- 

 lected inside of half an hour. The swarm consists of a 

 large number of adult bees, workers and drones, and 

 usually a single queen. 



Various devices against swarming have been invented, 

 but the most effective is to clip the wings of the queen 

 in order that she may be kept at home, because the other 



Figure 38. — Model Apiary. 



bees usually follow her. This is done after the queen has 

 taken her " wedding-flight." Her wings are clipped close 

 to the body, but only on one side. The bees that then 

 swarm soon come back and are easily controlled. While 

 the bees are still in the air, a clean, empty hive is placed 

 where the old one was. Beekeepers, during the swarm- 

 ing period, always have a number of empty hives in position 

 ready for the swarm to occupy. 



The returning bees enter the new hive in search of the 

 queen. As they are rushing in, the queen with clipped 



