26 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



and I will now indicate, so far as 

 I can, what I deem to be the correct 

 answer to the question which heads 

 this article. 



If the overcrowded condition of 

 the hive is a principal cause of 

 swarming (as it undoubtedly is), 

 then the remedy would seem to b6, 

 to give more room, either by en- 

 larging the brood-chamber, or b}^ 

 removing one or more frames of 

 brood or stores ; to a certain extent, 

 this is the proper remedy, and by 

 use of the extiactor it becomes a 

 verj' simple matter, but in endeavor- 

 ing to obtain surplus comb honey, 

 it becomes much more complicated. 



My own business is such that I 

 am absent from my apiary during 

 the daytime, and as my bees hav.e 

 not yet learned to swarm by moon- 

 light, this absence has, in days past, 

 caused me considerable trouble. 

 For the past three or four years, 

 however, I have made use of a 

 method which entirely prevents 

 swarming, and is so far a success 

 in that direction, that I have no 

 fears of an 3' stock swarming out 

 during my absence, even though at 

 work storing surplus in sections. 



This method, which I call the 

 nucleus plan of making swarms, is 

 as follows : about the first of June, 

 or as soon as the bees show symp- 

 toms of being affected with the 

 swarming fever, I take a frame or 

 two of brood from each strong 

 colony (being careful not to take 

 the queen) and place them in one 

 or more new hives (depending upon 

 the number of colonies I have), 

 filling their places with empty 

 comb or foundation. I then remove ' 



another strong colon}^ to a new 

 stand, set the new hive in its place 

 and introduce a queen. I purchase 

 my queens as I can do so cheaper 

 than I can rear them. If I were 

 rearing my own queens, I should 

 make preparations accordingly, and 

 refer any who are desirous of 

 learning the best method of rearing 

 queens, to read Henr}^ Alley's new 

 work, " The Bee-keeper's Handy 

 Book," where the whole question is 

 fully discussed, and particular in- 

 structions given in detail. 



In a few days the nuclei formed 

 as above will become strong colo- 

 nies, and as many more as we 

 choose can be made in the same 

 manner. By making use of the 

 above method, natural swarming is 

 prevented, good, health}-, strong 

 colonies are obtained, and the work- 

 ing force of the old colonies are 

 not depleted or injured. Natural 

 swarming prevents the gathering 

 of a large amount of honey, as it 

 takes a large number of foragers 

 from the hive ; while the occasional 

 taking of a frame of brood in no- 

 wise lessens the working force of 

 the colony. The empty comb or 

 foundation with which the frame of 

 brood is replaced is immediately 

 filled with eggs by the queen, and 

 thus the .working force of the 

 colony is kept supplied, and that 

 without injuring its honey-gather- 

 ing qualities. The amount of 

 increase to be made in an apiary, 

 by the means I have described, 

 can only be determined by the 

 amount of honey yield, tlie number 

 of stocks, and their individual 

 strength, and consequently must 



