PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING 67 



given by proping the hive up from the bottom board or by putting 

 a block under one corner of the cover. If the bees still persist in 

 leaving, a frame of unsealed brood will always induce them to stay. 



Should the parent colony be a strong one and the weather con- 

 ditions favorable, the honey flow continuing, a week later when the 

 young queens begin to emerge a second and even third and fourth 

 swarm may be cast. In general, however, afterswarming is to be 

 discouraged unless increase is the 'chief aim in view. This can 

 usually be accomplished by running through the colony if access- 

 ible on the fourth or fifth day after the casting of the first swarm 

 and destroying all of the queen cells except one or two of the best 

 looking ones, watching those left and when one is out destroying 

 al] others. To be sure and get all the cells, the combs should be 

 shaken as the cells not only occur along the edges but are also sus- 

 pended in dry holes in the comb or are built out just below the bulge 

 ot the honey along the top. The plan of removing queen cells ta 

 prevent any swarming whatever has not been found effective. 

 While it temporarily may defer swarming, ultimately it does not. 

 It may in many instances prevent the actual casting of a swarm, 

 yet all the conditions of swarming prevail. The bees cease work 

 more or less, the queen diminishes egg laying and the brood combs 

 become clogged with honey. The bees may finally swarm out leav- 

 ing no cells or they may swarm on the strength of some stray cell 

 overlooked. When bees once get in the notion of swarming it is 

 hard to stop them. 



Should it be desired to have no swarming in the apiary the 

 first step should be to replace all of the queens wintered with queens 

 of the current year's raising. Young queens are not near so likely 

 to be persistent in swarming as old ones are. Then, either half 

 stories or full stories fitted up with foundation starters may be 

 placed between the brood rest and the bottom board. This gives 

 the bees a sense of roominess and removes the necessity of swarming 

 bcaus<j of crowded quarters. The combs as fast as built down may 

 be removed to top stories and empty frames with only starters put 

 in place of them. The colonies should then be given plenty of 

 room above for storing honey, and the honey removed as fast as 

 ripened. 



Should it be desirable to have each colony cast one swarm for 

 increase, there is an effective way of handling natural swarms by 

 clipping one wing of the queen. This should be done in the early 



