30 PB.ACTICAI, BEE-KEEPINO. 



tile interior of the hive in wild excitement, while the ordinary course of 

 bee labour is for the nonce suspended. The would-be emigrants are not 

 apparently unmindful of the necessity for preparing to the utmost of their 

 ability for the contingencies of this expedition, so every bee aboutto depart 

 fills to repletion her honey bag ; and now, as they rush to the entrance, the 

 headlong exodus commences, each bee as she rises from the alighting 

 board circling broadly and humming loudly, calling us to the inspiriting cry 

 " The bees are swarming." More are yet pouring through the narrow 

 doorway, and as we watch we may catch a glimpse of the queen herself 

 as she takes wing to join her children — for the common idea that the queen 

 issues first and that the bees follow is quite erroneous. 



We note that the giddy multitude now begins to somewhat concentrate, 

 and to make a progress in some definite direction, and, taking this as our 

 i.ue, we find the chosen point for alighting where the whole gather into a 

 de?i3e mass, usually of the shape of a melon or pear. The fashion of 

 rattling keys and frying-pans is now nearly exploded. In ancient times it 

 seems to have been the practice to warn neighbours of swarms rising by 

 ringing beUs and making noises, and this by misinterpretation has 

 associated the clatter with the settling of the swarm. Langstroth tells us 

 that if a swarm is disposed to take a longer flight than desirable before 

 settling, it may be brought to earth by throwing dust amongst the intending 

 fugitives, while he and others also have stated that flashing a sunbeam, 

 from a looking-glass amongst them will have the same effect, but we 

 have never had the opportunity of putting either of these suggestions 

 to the test. When a swarm has once fairly settled, our first object 

 should be to keep it cool, for the universal excitement and close packing 

 of the cluster raise the temperature to an almost unbearable extent, and 

 the direct rays of the sun may before long drive it to a new, and for ns 

 most inconveniently lengthened, flight. If the settlingplacehasbeen a bush, 

 cover the latter with a sheet, and in very hot weather let this be well 

 sprinkled with water ; if a tree, an umbrella with its handle thrust in 

 amongst the branches may give the welcome shade. We must now prepare 

 for hiving, and, in undertaking this little business, we shall do well to re- 

 member that bees are exceptionally good tempered as a swarm, for aH are 

 gorged with honey, but that the statement that swarming bees will not sting 

 is an utter and very misleading mistake. We have been stung in the face by 

 bees flyiagout from the cluster when we have given no provocation, and have 

 had our hands literally covered with stings in hiving swarms that have 

 settled in situations whence it has been difficult to secure them. The 

 novice should be veiled and gloved also, unless the position taken up 

 is a convenient one, such as the end of a tree bough. If the swarm is 

 intended to remain in a skep, it had better be hived into the one it is to 

 permanently occupy. If a frame hive is to receive it, let it be first secured 

 in a skep and then turned into the frame hive as presently described. Wo 



