THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



339 



In my travels about the State this 

 fall as state inspector of apiaries, I 

 have found three men who have, by 

 this plan, kept their apiaries free from 

 foul brood, when literally surrounded 

 by it. In the southern part of Mich- 

 igan this is a tremendous advantage, 

 as that part of the state seems to be 

 completely "seeded" with foul brood. 

 Circumvent swarming and foul brood 

 all at one bell swoop! Isn't that some- 

 thing big? 



Yes, it is some work, but where 

 there is no foul brood to contend with 

 it will never be necessary to shake 

 all of the colonies. An examination, 

 once a week, and the shaking of those 

 colonies that have started cells will 

 prevent all swarming. Sometimes not 

 more than half or two-thirds of the 

 colonies will swarm. One year not 

 half of my colonies swarmed. 



But, suppose that it is some work, 

 the wax secured from the combs will 

 pay for the labor twice over. I know 

 that more comb honey will be secured 

 in the supers when the bees build 

 their own combs in the brood nest 

 and I am thoroughly convinced that 

 the new combs are built at a profit; 

 that they are just like "finding 

 money;" that they are built of mater- 

 ial that would not otherwise be util- 

 ized. 



Just think of it once more. Let us 

 recapitulate: Swarming controlled, 

 foul brood eradicated and held at bay, 

 bills for comb foundation cut down 

 one-half and wax enough to sell to 

 pay the other half of the bill. And 

 don't forget that the solving of the 

 swarming problem enables us to keep 

 five or six times as many bees with 

 the same amount of labor during the 

 swarming season. 



If a man does not desire increase, 

 it is easily avoided. Set the old colony 

 by the side of the new one, but with 

 its entrance turned to one side. One 

 week later, at the next visit, turn the 



entrance around so that the two hives 

 will stand side by side, close together 

 and parallel. At the next visit, set 

 the old hive upon the opposite side of 

 the new hive, turning its entrance 

 away at right angles to the new hive. 

 All the flying bees of the old hive will 

 now join the shook swarm. At the 

 next visit, the brood will all have 

 hatched, when all oi the bees can be 

 shaken in front of the new hive, and 

 the old combs treated as the circum- 

 stances suggest, or the bee-keeper de- 

 sires. 



This manner of disposing of the 

 brood admits of many variations, but 

 it is agreed by all that better results 

 in comb honey are secured if the 

 hatching bees in the old hive are, in 

 some manner, added to the force in 

 the new hive. 



Of course there are many details 

 that must be worked out and observ- 

 ed. We must not begin shaking too 

 early in the season. We must wait 

 until the bees actually make prepara- 

 tions for swarming— start queen cells. 



The bees must be made to fill their 

 sacs with honey before the shaking is 

 commenced. This must be done by 

 thorough smoking and jarring of the 

 hive. 



The bees must not all be brushed 

 off unless the combs are to be given 

 to other bees. If we shake oCf (not 

 brush) all that we can, we will leave 

 the old Colony in much the same con- 

 dition as a colony is left that has 

 cast a natural swarm, only fewer bees 

 are left, and. If the combs are placed 

 upon a new stand, they are also rob- 

 bed of all of the flying bees. If one 

 wishes for some increase, there is no 

 nicer way than to give a ripe queen cell 

 to combs of brood. There will be 

 no swarming. When the queen is 

 ready to lay she will find plenty of 

 empty cells, and the colony will be In 

 fine condition for the fall flow, or for 

 wintering. 



