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74 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



thing I could do, and yet they swarmed, and I never saw so 

 many drones as I had. 



Mr. Moore— I would like to ask in this connection, when 

 you control the production of drones by workers, can you 

 thereby solve the swarming question? 



Dr. Miller — No, you can't do it; and I would like to say 

 to Mr. Whitney that he will find that there will be years 

 when he will have exactly the same amount of drone-comb 

 in his hives, and possibly with the same amount of drones, 

 and he will have swarming more than other years. With quite 

 a number the last season was an unusual one for swarming. 

 It has been one of the worst years for swarming that I ever 

 knew. I know I spoke of it more than once. There seemed 

 to be a scarcity of drones, the smallest number of drones 

 I ever had was this year, yet I think it was about the worst 

 year for swarming. The two things don't always bear the 

 same ratio. Mr. Hutchinson says that if it wasn't for the 

 swarming you wouldn't have any drones. The two things are 

 not always in proportion. ., 



Mr. Starkey — I noted that drones would tend to increase 

 swarming, but by doing so I meant this : That instead of 

 drones, if the same amount of labor had been expended in 

 producing workers we would still have had the same amount 

 of swarming tendency. I don't believe that the presence of 

 drones would increase it any more than the workers them- 

 selves. However, I believe that it would be an advantage 

 to the colony in point of the value to the honey-producer if 

 these drones had been prevented. 



Dr. Miller — If you suffer a large number of drones in 

 : your apiary you will have more swarming, and I believe if 

 you allow a large amount of drone-comb in your hives you 

 will have more swarming for it. One of the means to help 

 cut down swarming is to allow as little drone-comb as possi- 

 ble to remain in the hives. 



Mr, Longsdon — You may put a drone-comb into a very 

 small colony, but the colony that doesn't show any tendency 

 at the time of swarming, and immediately, almost, if other 

 conditions are favorable, that colony will swarm. I know 

 it is the change of the drone-combs that does it. I believe 

 the drones have a very great amount to do as regards the 

 swarming of bees. 



Mr. Whitney — I attempted to prevent swarming by cut- 

 tinqr queen-cells. I had a hive-box that I would put the queen 

 in, and turn it in front of the hive so the swarm couldn't get 

 back, and they would all cluster in that box, and I cut the 

 queen-cells out. They would work for some time ; perhaps put in 

 a case or two of honey and then swarm. I had one swarm 

 come out with 200 or 300 bees, and I made them a hive and 

 they are a good colony of bees today; but there was only 

 about 200 or 300 bees in the whole swarm, so you see what 

 I produced with the queen. She gathered 200 or 300 bees 

 and they swarmed out in a cracker-box. I merely mention 

 that as the tendency of swarming in my yard, as one bee 

 against four. 



