HIVING THE SWARMS 



103 



the brood nest and cut out all queen cells but one. There will 

 then be little danger of further swarming. ( See Swarm Control 

 under Comb Honey, Chapter IX.) 



In small apiaries, operated as a side line, natural swarming 

 will often prove to be the most desirable plan of increasing. If 

 the bees are run for comb honey, the number of colonies are likely 

 to double each favorable 

 season, and sometimes ^^*' i<^ 

 there will be more than 

 double the number of col- 

 onies at the close of the 

 season that there were in 

 the beginning. The exten- 

 sive honey producer who 

 makes bee-keeping a busi- 

 ness, however, will wish to 

 look for more certain meth- 

 ods of making increase. 



Hiving the Swarms. — 

 Hiving the swarms is 

 usually a very simple mat- 

 ter. If the queens are 

 clipped the hive from 

 which the swarm issued 

 may be removed, and the 

 swarm allowed to return to 

 the new hive set in its place 

 as mentioned in a preced- 

 ing paragraph. 



If the queens are not clipped, the swarm will be likely to 

 settle on a tree or on some other object near at hand. Small 

 fruit trees about the apiary furnish the best clustering places, 

 as the swarms can be taken down very readily (Figs. 5 and 52). 

 If a comb containing brood is placed in the new hive, there is 

 less danger that they will come out" again and leave. Every 



J 



Fio. 51. — Hiving swarm in straw skep in Europe. 



