VOL. IV. 



Mf\RGtt, 1894. 



NO. 3. 



Artificial Swarming. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



"How shall 1 manage my bees dur- 

 ing the swarming season so as to se- 

 cure the best results ? Shall I let the 

 swarm naturally, or shall I swarm 

 them artificially.or divide them?" Are 

 questions often asked by the beginner. 

 These questions are replied to in 

 various ways, just in accord with the 

 mode of procedure adopted by the one 

 giving answers. While I accord to 

 all the privilege of answering from 

 their own standpoint, yet I often 

 think that advice is often given which 

 is not correct, and at the risk of hav- 

 ing others think I am not correct in 

 my plans, I will give the readers of 

 the American Bee-Keeper the plans 



which I have adopted. After years 

 of experience I have found it to my 

 advantage to hive all prime swarms 

 issuing previous to ten days before 

 the general honey harvest and deter 

 all others from issuing which would 

 come later. As natural swarming is 

 understood by all I will not dwell 

 upon that. When, by a knowledge of 

 my location, I know that the main 

 honey harvest is only from a week to 

 ten day- ahead. I proceed to make 

 swarms from all the rest which have 



not swarmed, as follow.- : A hive is 

 tilled with empty combs, or if I do not 

 have the combs, with comb founda- 

 tion, and placed upon the stand of 

 one of these colonies which have not 

 swai med, and all the seel ions are taken 

 off and placed thereon, then all of the 

 bees from the colony set from itsstand 

 are shaken off their combs of brood 

 and honey, in front of this prepared 

 hive, into which they will run as fast 

 as shaken oil'. Thus I have a colony 

 that is ready for business as soon as 

 the honey harvest comes, having all 

 the bees there would have been had 

 the swarm issued naturally and about 

 one-half more, for in natural swarm- 

 ing only about two-thirds of the 

 hatched bees leave the hive, while 

 when made as above they have the 

 queen, all the bees and part filled 

 boxes, all in readiness for work. 

 Previous to this nuclei have been 

 formed so that I have plenty of lay- 

 ing queens to use as 1 need them. I 

 next take all the combs of brood from 

 which the bees were shaken and 

 brushed, except one, rearranging them 

 in the hive the bees were shaken out 

 of, and carry this hive to the stand of 

 another colony which has not swarm- 

 ed. Next, I take the frame of brood 



