108 ONE YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 



ing the month of June. There seems to be something about the 

 balmy atmosphere of the month of June that not only deposits more 

 nectar in the flowers, but of a better quality, and hence June honey, 

 both in quantity and quality, excels all others. 



If, at the beginning of the honey season, we decide that we do not 

 want an increase in the number of our colonies, but that a crop of 

 honey is the only thing in view, we must bend our energy in that di- 

 rection, and work accordingly. To obtain the largest honey crop, it 

 is necessary to prevent swarming to a great extent, if not exclusively. 

 The idea is to put our entire force of bees down to storing honey, and 

 no foolishness in the way of new swarms to start up housekeeping at 

 the expense of the honey crop. 



Swarming is prevented in more than one way, and the proper thing 

 to do right at the beginning, and that time is when the colony becomes 

 so strong that they are cramped for room in the lower story or brood 

 chamber, is to add the upper story, even if a little in advance of the 

 honey harvest. The first thing that puts bees in the notion of swarm- 

 ing is lack of room in the hive, and at all times throughout the entire 

 season this must be carefully looked after, and abundance of storage 

 room given at all times when bees are storing honey. This alone is 

 the principal secret of large honey crops. It not only prevents swarm- 

 ing to a great extent, but the bees are never prevented from storing 

 honey for want of space. 



Space alone will not prevent swarming, but only to a certain ex- 

 tent. The principal method used to prevent swarms is the removal 

 of all queen cells at the proper time from the combs. Bees will 

 swarm in eight days after the construction of queen cells begins. 

 These cells become very visible after they are five or six days old, and 

 may easily be found and removed from the combs. The removal of 

 these cells will prevent the swarm from issuing except in very rare 

 cases so rare, that it need not be taken into consideration. If these 

 cells are allowed to remain, the young queens reach maturity in the 

 larval state in eight days, at which time the cells are sealed over, and 

 the swarm is due to come off. Hence, there will be seen the time 

 when action must be taken for their removal to prevent the swarm 

 from issuing. In most cases the bees will immediately again begin 

 constructing more queen cells, to be followed by removal as before. 

 It is only exceptional colonies that will thus torment us in trying to 

 swarm, as the largest per cent, of them will be content to store honey 

 without attempting to swarm, if they have plenty of storage room. 



If in thus making an examination of the frames of comb and re- 

 moving the queen cells we should happen to overlook a cell, we will 

 surely be rewarded with a swarm, for one cell alone in the hive is 



