1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



95, 



Again, if I thought it best to hive 

 my new swarms on frames filled with 

 comb foundation, so that wired frames 

 filled with worker combs would be a 

 certain result, then I would use only 

 starters as in the sections above. 

 When a prime swarm issues, they go 

 forth, as a rule, with wax already se- 

 creted in their wax-pockets, so that 

 they may at once commence to build 

 combs in their new home ; and if the 

 new home is already supplied with 

 all the necessary combs this wax is 

 wasted, or, what is often the case, 

 worse than wasted, it being added to 

 the foundation already in the sections, 

 so that, instead of drawing out the 

 side walls of the foundation, they 

 build with their own wax the cells of 

 the combs, thus leaving the founda- 

 tion in the sections the same as it left 

 the mill. This causes the grumbling 

 about "fishbone" in section honey, 

 which we often hear about. Now, 

 where 1 hive swarms on full combs, or 

 frames filled with foundation, I use 

 only starters in the sections, and find 

 that the bees will build the combs in 

 the sections while they are drawing 

 out the foundation below, and thus a 

 saving is made. But as a rule I pre- 

 fer to fill the sections with foundation, 

 that I may have handsome salable 

 sections of honey, and use only start- 

 ers of foundation in the frames below, 

 having the starters in the frames, say 

 from one to 1| inches wide. By con- 

 tracting the brood chamber to six 

 frames, the bees go to work at once 

 in the sections, drawing out the foun- 

 dation there, while at the same time 

 they build all nice straight worker 

 comb in the frames, which does not 

 detract from the amount of section 

 honey in the least, so far as 1 can see. 



(From the American Bee Journal.) 



SOMETHING ABOUT SWAKMING 

 AND HIVING OF BEES. 



BY A. C. SANFORD. 



The bees swarm because their natu- 

 ral instinct is to multiply themselves, 

 and because their home becomes too 

 small and warm. The bees in small 

 hives will swarm earlier and more in 

 number if left to themselves, other 

 things being equal. Now, if we wish 

 to control the swarming tendency, and 

 we must if we expect to get a good 

 crop of honey, I have found by long 

 experience that good-sized hives are 

 better than small ones. I think it is 

 better to give them room to occupy 

 just as soon as the strength of the col- 

 ony will permit — don't wait until your 

 hive is chock full of bees. By giving 

 room in advance they will not be apt 

 to swarm so early, and when a swarm 

 comes off it will be very large. Such 

 swarms are A No 1 for making comb 

 for extracted honey. 



A record should be kept of the date 

 of the swarming, because in seven or 

 eight days we must go through the 

 parent hive and dispose of all the sur- 

 plus queen cells, as only one queen is 

 necessary for each colony. At such 

 times the opportunity is good to super- 

 sede poor stock with good. If the sur- 

 plus queen cells are not cut out. there 

 will nearly always be several after- 

 swarms, or casts, which are very an- 

 noying, as such are often hard to man- 

 age, and unprofitable unless we want 

 increase. By managing thus, you 

 have only doubled your stock, and 

 your bees should be ia prime order to 

 get honey. 



I will give a few thoughts about 

 swarming and hiving the bees. The 



