530 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July, 1917 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



I advised Lira to get the best hives he 

 could, i^aint them well, and keep them up 

 to standard. Slovenly beekeepers make 

 slovenly hives; and slovenly hives, in a 

 sort of reflex action, result in slovenly bee- 

 men. On the other hand, one of the best 

 incentives to the best that is in you is 

 always to have even the looks of things 

 prove an inspiration to do your best. Not 

 least of all is the decided advantage, if 

 ever you wish to sell out a yard. It costs 

 very little to keep things snug and modern 

 as you go along. It becomes a herculean 

 task to readjust, after the yard reaches a 

 point where practically everything needs 

 overhauling. A stitch in time saves nine. 

 Deland, Fla. E. G. Baldwin. 



Swarm Prevention and Control 



Continued from page 351 May number 



The beekeeper's object is to prevent 

 swarming, if possible, in order to increase 

 the amount of surplus honey by concentrat- 

 ing the efforts of the bees on storing. Few 

 beekeepers, however, understand how the 

 problem may be solved. It is not my inten- 

 tion here to advise on the whole subject 

 other than to mention some things that must 

 be done if we would prevent swarming. 



In this connection it is well to remember 

 that the bee is intent on what it is doing, 

 whether it be swarming, comb-building, or 

 the gathering of pollen or honey. There- 

 fore if we wish to prevent^ swamdng we 

 must give the bees an inducement to follow 

 some other line — one that will divert them 

 from the idea of swarming. It is just for 

 this reason that bait sections are of so much 

 value. They give the bees an inducement to 

 begin operations in the sections; and with 

 the bees intent on this work' the greatest 

 danger of swarming is over. 



While, as I have said, it is not the nature 

 of the bee to build comb in the old hive, 

 yet if comb-building can be induced and the 

 colony started in this direction before the 

 necessity for swarming arises, swarming 

 may be controlled. However, where new 

 oomb-building is being forced in the old 

 colony, there is always the possibility that 

 new swarming tendencies may arise; for 

 if there is a crowded condition in the hive, 

 or if there is a honey-flow sufficient to in- 

 duce rapid breeding, but not enough to 

 cause rapid comb-building, then a state of 

 unrest and inactivity will result in prepara- 

 tion to swai"m. When this slate of en- 

 forced inactivity once prev^ls nothing but 



swarming will bring the colony back to its 

 normal condition excejit, perhaps, an abun- 

 dant comb room in which to store. The 

 time to begin to control swarming is before 

 the conditions develop that induce it. This 

 is Avhy we are able to control swarming 

 when extracted honey is being produced, 

 because it is possible to keep the colonies 

 busy without forcing them into comb-build- 

 ing. When comb honey is being produced, 

 swarming can be controlled only as we are 

 able to overcome the swarming impulse by 

 removing the queen-cells or using other 

 methods that will thwart nature. Many 

 times if we remove queen-cells the bees be- 

 come so intent in rebuilding them that 

 swarming is neglected. . 



While reproduction is the object of 

 swarming, it is only after the limit of 

 available comb room has been reached that 

 the bees exercise that function. In this 

 the queen at times plays an important part. 

 The tendency to supersede old queens is 

 ever present, and is stronger in the early 

 spring and summer than at any other time. 

 This is due largely to the fact that the weak- 

 ness of the old queen is more apparent dur- 

 ing the height of the breeding season than 

 at any other time of the year. In instances 

 where there was plenty of room I have often 

 known a colony run for extracted honey to 

 supersede its queen without showing any 

 desire to swarm, even when swarming 

 conditions seemed ideal. But oftentimes 

 queen-cells may be started for the purpose 

 of superseding, then other conditions arise 

 and finally result in the casting of the 

 swarm. This may happen even at a time 

 before the cells are completed, in which case 

 the parent colony probably realizes that the 

 time of eliminating the old queen is also an 

 opportune time to relieve the congested con- 

 dition of the hive. Yet notwithstanding 

 the old queens may cause swarming, still 

 the swarming impulse is not necessarily re- 

 lieved by the presence of a young queen ; for 

 when conditions become such that nature 

 demands relief, swarming will take place 

 just the same. But the bees will respond 

 more readily to comb-building than Avhen 

 an old queen heads the colony, bec;{iuse there 

 is no necessity for superseding. However, 

 tho supersedure may be a factor in many 

 eases, the primary object of queen-cells at 

 the swarming period must be attributed to 

 reproduction made desirable by the bees 

 having reached the limit of available room. 

 In case of supersedure cells, the object is 

 self-preservation. P. C. Chadwick. 



Redlands, Cal. 



