STORIFYING AND SINGLE-HIVING. 123 



has more warehouse-room than its respective ne- 

 cessities require, the division into small families 

 must multiply the proportion of this superfluous 

 room. 



Sixthly, the saving of the time usually lost in 

 preparation for swarming, when the bees hang 

 inactively in clusters, on the outsides of the hives, 

 for many days, sometimes for weeks, particularly 

 if the weather be unfavourable. 



It seems right to remark in this place, that 

 though this clustering or hanging out of the bees 

 is generally regarded as one of the strongest 

 symptoms of an approaching swarm, it is never- 

 theless a deceptive one. It does certainly indi- 

 cate that there are bees sufficient to throw off a 

 swarm, and is sometimes evidence of an anxiety 

 to do so ; but unless there be a queen ready to go 

 off with them, however distrest for room, the 

 clustering will sometimes continue for a consider- 

 able time ; in hot dry seasons it may last till the 

 middle of August. This clustering, as before ob- 

 served, is very prejudicial, as it causes the bees 

 to be inactive in their principal harvest season, 

 when every bee ought to be fully employed, and 

 may induce a habit of inactivity for the future. 

 Clustering likewise obstructs the operations of the 

 bees that are active, by interrupting the thorough- 

 fare to the hive. These disadvantages are ad- 

 mirably remedied by storifying, without which, 



