AKTIFICIAL SWAKMING. 41 



be thrown to the top and detected amongst them. Aa they crawl (for 

 they will not fly) np the side of the hive, and cluster thickly upon it, beat 

 them down by a sharp rap on the outside of it. Eepeating the operation 

 a few times, we can hardly fail in discovering, if present, the mother, in 

 spite of her attempts at concealment behind her retreating children. The 

 queen being found, place the forced swarm upon the old stand, and shak*? 

 out the bees that have in the meantime returned to the decoy hive fror'; 

 the fields, when they will enter their new abode, and, finding their queen, 

 will, with the rest, commence comb building' at once, as would a natural 

 swarm. The old hive must now be placed on a new stand. To the 

 inexperienced, there are two possible difficulties about which a word or 

 two of explanation seems requisite. First, finding the queen : Some are 

 not quick at this ; and since the queen does not invariably rise by drum- 

 ming, while her presence is absolutely essential to the swarm, such must 

 depend on other evidence than that of sight. The forced swarm being 

 placed on the stand, if tolerably quiet in the space of half an hour, the 

 bees not rushing wildly in and out the hive, nor running over it apparently 

 in search for something, it may be concluded that the queen is with them. 

 But if their excitement is great, while the driven hive which may have been 

 placed on a new stand noteless than six yards away, is quiet, the evidence 

 is unfavourable, when the driven hive may be agaiu drummed, or the bees 

 returned to the old stock for another attempt the following day. The 

 second difficulty is leaving in the old stock the fitting number of bees for 

 carryiag on the work of the colony, and raising queens. This is best managed 

 by arranging the positions of the stock and swarm. If not more than half 

 the bees have been driven from the old stock, it must occupy a new position, 

 and the swarm take its former place, to which, from force of habit, many 

 of the bees still left in the stock will come after their first flight ; but if the 

 stock has been driven very bare of bees, it is well to place.the swarm and 

 stock on opposite sides of the old position occupied by the colony, 

 and each about 4ft. or 5ft. from it, so that bees returning from the fields 

 may be as likely to enter the one as the other. Shoidd the stock appear 

 to be getting more than the necessary number of bees, disguise it by 

 some cover, or place it farther from the old position ; but if less, 

 bring it rather nearer to it. The beginner should try his hand at this matter 

 not too late in the day, for reasons now obvious. Striving to anticipate 

 difficulties has perhaps made the operation appear more formidable than 

 it really is. Let all be done without flurry, and even the merest novice 

 will find it become easy and clear as he progresses. K the driven swarm 

 is to be sent away, pack it as described under " Natural Swarming," ar,<? 

 out the stock on its own stand. 



Three Out of Two 

 Where two or more hives are possessed, this method may frequently be 



