40 



PRACTICAL SBE-KEEPLN.l 



CHAPTER VII. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



NATURAL SWABMINa INCONVENIENT ABTIFICIAL SWAEMING OF 



SINGLE SEEP FINDING THE QUEEN APPORTIONING TH:!' 



BEES — THEEE OUT OP TWO MANAGEMENT OP STATIONS 



INSERTING QUEEN CELLS MAKING SWARMS FROM FRAME 



HIVES FOE PACKING — FOR THE APIABT BRUSHING BEES 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 



The bees' natural means of increase, " swarming," demands so much time, 

 and is accompanied by so much, uncertainty and inconvenience, that but 

 few apioulturists nowadays have not taken the matter altogether into 

 their own hands, increasing the number of their colonies by a variety of 

 methods called generally " artificial swarming." 



It is needless to point out that, left to themselves, swarms nOT7 ana 

 again settle in most inconvenient positions, or come off at most incon- 

 venient times, or are lost by leaving when no watcher is at hand ; wlnle 

 bees often idle week after week in big clusters at their hive door, and 

 swarm not ; and that sometimes unfavourable weather, after all things are 

 ready, keeps the queen back untU the princess intended to succeed her is 

 necessarily destroyed. 



We will at once explain the most generally suitable methods of 

 proceedure, asking the reader to carefully note the few principles given 

 towards the end of the chapter, which will enable him to judge of suit- 

 ability of season, ripeness of hive for increase, &o. 



SwAEMiNO A Single Skbp. 



Having given a puff of smoke, remove it from its stand, upon which 

 place an empty decoy skep to receive and amuse the bees returning from 

 the fields. Drum the stock (see last chapter), and watch carefully for the 

 isoent of the queen. A quick eye will rarely allow her to pass unnoticed, but 

 if she has notbeeu seen, turn over the hive containing the swarm (technically 

 the forced swarm), for an examination, and if her majesty does not shew 

 herself shake the bees sharply round, when they will roll over each other 

 like so many grocer's currants, and the object of our search will probably 



