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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



THE PREVENTION OF SWARMING 

 MEANS OF THE HIVE. 



BY L. A. ASPINWALL. 



[As promised in our Feb. 15th issue, page 204, we take 

 pleasure in reproducing an article from the Bee-keep- 

 ers' Review, by L. A. Aspinwall, describing his new 

 non-swarming comb honey hive. I think our readers 

 will agree with me that nothing like it before was ever 

 illustrated and described- at least not in America. 

 While the Doolittle method of swarm control relates to 

 a system of management, the one here shown is all in 

 the construction of the hive. For the present, at least, 

 Mr. Aspinwall says he is not prepared to furnish the 

 hive nor to have any one else make them— that he 

 wishes to experiment further before they are placed on 

 the market. So it would be useless to write us or Mr. 

 Aspinwall for hives or prices on the same. — Ed.] 



The ultimate control of 

 the increase of colonies, 

 culminating in the absolute 

 prevention of swarming, is 

 no less essential to success- 

 ful bee culture than the 

 control of increase in stock 

 and poultry breeding. With 

 no visible means to prevent 

 increase among our domes- 

 tic animals and poultry, 

 perplexities would prevail, 

 not unlike those experi- 

 enced by bee-keepers dur- 

 ing the swarming season; 

 and, I might add, with the 

 promiscuous mating of 

 queens. 



THE YIELD DOUBLED BY 

 NON-SWARMERS. 



With our colonies under 

 perfect control we may rea- 

 sonably expect the yield of 

 honey, in average seasons, 

 to be at least double. Fur- 

 thermore, with non- swarm- 

 ing hives the ability to secure all the 

 possible from white clover gives an 

 value to the increased product. 



BY Having experimented 17 years with from 



30 to 50 colonies of bees, involving great ex- 

 pense (both as to labor and money) , in the 

 employment of various methods, I must take 

 issue with experimenters generally in this 

 line, in that a successful method to prevent 

 swarming must primarily be found in the 

 hive rather than in the methods adopted. 

 However, be the hive never so perfect, any 

 neglect to use the methods requisite in its 

 use will result very largely in failure. 



In the prevention of swarming we must 

 first prevent a development of the factors 

 which induce it. These hinge mainly on a 

 crowded condition of the colony. This con- 



SECTIONAL SIDE VIEW SHOWING SLATTBD ENDS OF BROOD- 

 FRAMES. 



COVER AND SECTIONS REMOVED, SHOWING SLATTED DUM- 

 MIES IN PLACE. 



honey dition results in the clogging of the brood- 

 added apartment with honey, and impeding the 

 queen in her work of laying. The lack of 

 storage room is a very 

 important factor to be con- 

 sidered in this connection. 

 Ventilation, and freedom 

 of access to all parts of 

 the hive, must in no way 

 become impeded. The hive 

 employed must embody re- 

 quisites which, with prop- 

 er management, will pre- 

 vent a development of 

 these factors. 



ESSENTIAL FEATURES OP 

 A NON-SWARMING HIVE. 



The essential feature 

 embodied in the construc- 

 tion of my hive is an ar- 

 rangement whereby the 

 brood-combs may be sep- 

 arated, or spread, covering 

 a greater area. It is an 

 established fact that any 

 amount of box or surplus 

 room will but partially 



