SWARMING AND HIVING. 141 



colonies are usually wasted ; as the larger portion of them 

 never survive the Winter, and most of those that do, 

 are so enfeebled as to be of little value. If they escape 

 being robbed by stronger stocks, or destroyed by the 

 moth, they seldom recruit in season to swarm, and often, 

 unless the feeding is repeated a second season, they perish 

 at last. Doubtless, many of my readers, from their own 

 experience, can indorse every word of these remarks ; 

 having found the attempt to multiply colonies, by nursing 

 and feeding small swarms in the common hives, usually 

 attended with nothing but loss and vexation. The more 

 of such stocks a man has, the poorer he is ; for by their 

 weakness, they constantly tempt his strong swarms to evil 

 courses ; until at last, they prefer, as far as they can, to 

 live by stealing, rather than by habits of honest industry; 

 and even if the feeble colonies escape being plundered, 

 they often become nurseries for raising a supply of moths, 

 to infest his Apiary. 



Suitable directions are furnished, hi the chapter upon 

 Feeding Bees, for building up the smallest after-swarms 

 into vigorous stocks, and for strengthening such colonies 

 as are feeble in the Spring. 



4. As both the parent-stocks and the after-swarms very 

 frequently lose their young queens after swarming, a hive 

 by which this misfortune can be easily remedied, will be 

 of great service to those who practice natural swarming. 

 An intelligent bee-keeper once assured me that he should 

 use one movable-comb hive in his Apiary, for this purpose, 

 at least, even if it had no merit in other respects. 



5. In the common hives, but little can be done to dis- 

 lodge the bee-moth, when it has gained the ascendency ; 

 whereas, in mine, it can be easily extirpated. (See 

 remarks on the Bee-Moth.) 



6. In the common hives, it is difficult to remove an old 



