254 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



liarvestj when the hive is full of brood, is better than two 

 swarms made at its close. 



When new colonies are made by purchasing queens (601) 

 with nuclei (520), shipped from a distance (587), they 

 should be hived on as many combs of brood, taken from other 

 hives, as they can well cover. If full frames of foundation 

 (674:) are added, from time to time, strong colonies may be 

 built out of them, quite readily. 



If the colonies are gathering much honey, when artificial 

 swarms are made, but little smoke (383) will be needed in 

 the operations. The frequent use of smoke makes the queen 

 leave the combs, for greater security. This often causes great 

 delay in the formation of artificial swarms by removing the 

 frames, and in operations where it is desirable to catch the 

 queen, or to examine her upon the comb. 



484. Artificial operations of all kinds are most successful 

 when bee-forage is abundant; when it is scarce, they are quite 

 precarious, even if the colonies are well supplied with food. 



When bees are not busy in honey-gathering, they have 

 leisure to ascertain the condition of weak colonies, which are 

 almost certain to be robbed, if they are incautiously opened. 

 When forage is scarce, the Apiarist who does not guard 

 against robbing (664) will seriously impair the value of his 

 colonies, and entail upon himself much useless and vexatious 

 labor. Beware of demoralizing bees, by tempting them to rob 

 one another. 



485. During a good honey flow, bees from different hives 

 may be mixed without quarreling, owing to their more peace- 

 able disposition, when full of honey, hence all manipulations 

 become much easier. But at other times, great caution is 

 requisite not only in giving a hive a strange queen, but in 

 all attempts to mix bees belonging to different colonies. Bees 

 having a fertile queen will often quarrel with those having 

 an unimpregnated one. 



Members of different colonies recognize their hive-com- 

 panions especially by the sense of smell, and if there should 



