CHAPTER 8 

 Swarm Prevention and Supering 



There are many methods in vogue for the prevention of 

 swarming, but they are nearly all by manipulations which re- 

 quire a great deal of time, at the busiest season. The method 

 which we sustain as best and which we here describe requires 

 no active manipulations during the honey-gathering period, 

 outside of the usually necessary ones, and is what might properly 

 be called a "let alone" method. 



As early as 1870, we found ourselves with a sufficient num- 

 ber of colonies to make swarming undesirable. Besides the 

 objectionable increase in numbers, swarming caused an increase 

 of labor when we were busiest. The method which we then 

 adopted has been in constant use by us since, with additional 

 improvements. We do not claim that swarming can be pre- 

 vented altogether, neither do we claim that it is as easy to avoid 

 it in the production of comb honey as in that of extracted honey. 

 But the success of our management during numerous honey 

 crops is ample evidence that the principles enunciated below 

 are in the right direction. The season of 1916 gave us more 

 positive evidence of its success, as compared to other methods. 

 Out of about 525 colonies, spring count, we gathered less than 

 30 swarms, but harvested over 200 pounds of honey per colony, 

 while a neighbor of ours, less than two miles from our home 

 apiary, gathered 12 swarms from five colonies, owing to his 

 neglect of proper attendance to their needs. The requirements 

 are as follows: 



1. An ample brood-chamber for the needs of a prolific 

 queen. If the queen finds herself confined to a scanty lower 

 story by excluders or otherwise, she will make it known to the 

 bees or they will instinctively notice it themselves and prepare 

 queen-cells. The very large hives, large brood-chambers, and 

 easily accessible supers, that we use, are favorable to a non- 

 swarming disposition. 



But even with an 8-frame hive, the prolific queens may be 

 accommodated. Doctor C. C. Miller uses a second brood-cham- 



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