92 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



effectual these frames have got to he examined once a week 

 sure. Examine carefully, and cut off every queen cell, if you 

 don't want to have them swarm. If you find that they are 

 determined to swarm, open the hive and take out two to four 

 frames and put in some new ones. That will usually stop 

 them for the time being. What will you do with these frames 

 you have taken out ? If you have taken outside frames, there 

 is generally not yery much brood in them. If you take out 

 broods, start a new hive, a new swarm. Take a new hive, and 

 put in say two or four frames that you took out of this full 

 hive ; then go to a hive that is running all right and take out 

 another frame, and let them raise a queen of their own, and 

 they will go on and build up a swarm themselves. 



When I began, I began under com]iulsion. Our family 

 wanted a swarm of bees, and I didn't want them. But a 

 swarm of bees must be had ; so I paid $7 for a swarm and got 

 a new hive. That year was a poor year, and I got one swarm 

 of bees ; and they got through the next winter without any 

 honey to start them in the spring. So I fed them some 

 dissolved granulated sugar, and got them well started ; and 

 we had another dry season, — didn't get very much honey. 

 But the next year I got two more swarms, and it was a grand, 

 good season; and from those four swarms of bees I sold $75 

 worth of honey. Well, I took care of them just as I would a 

 flock of hens or a herd of cows or sheep. That's the secret of 

 the thing, — ■ tend them. I got more from those four swarms 

 that year than I did when I had sixteen. What is a good food 

 for them ? Fresh white clover and basswood. I believe those 

 four large swarms gathered the honey for their food in better 

 proportions than the sixteen did. So if I were going to raise 

 bees (unless I wanted to sell bees for market, which is the 

 most profitable, I guess) I'd keep the swarms down just so I 

 could take care of them well, and not have any more. 



Something has been said about wintering bees. I used to 

 put mine in a dry-goods box, and pack it with leaves and one 

 thing and another, and I used to have mice come in and eat up 

 a whole swarm. I had to have it fixed so a mouse couldn't 

 get in. I had just as good luck from wintering bees out- 



