NATURAL SWARMING. 53 



provision of Nature to relieve an over-populated colony. 

 It is in fact an emigration on a large scale. 



Evidence in the minds of experienced Bee-keepers 

 tends to prove, that the Queen in swarming is not a 

 willing emigrant, but is forced to go out by the Workers. 



First swarms usually come out in the middle of the 

 day, and it must be fine and warm ; but after swarms are 

 very erratic ; they may emerge early or late, in fair 

 weather or foul, generally, however, in the former. 



The chief indication that swarming is about to take 

 place is the gathering of the Bees at the entrance of the 

 hive, where they cling to each other and hang under the 

 board in a cluster, often as large as a pottle measure. 

 This clustering is evidently the natural instinct of the 

 Bees, which leads them to gather together in the same 

 manner as when they are making comb within the hive, 

 and indeed they will sometimes start a new comb under 

 the floor-board. The hive being quite full, the Bees will 

 often thus " hang out " for two or three weeks, though 

 something is apparently yet wanting to give them the 

 final impulse to start. Clustering does not always take 

 place before the issue of a swarm, so that other signs 

 must also be watched for. If on one day the Drones are 

 busy, and the Bees all activity and bustle, while on the 

 following day few Bees are at work, and only a little 

 restlessness observable, then we may probably expect 

 a swarm at no very distant date; but there are no 

 infallible signs by which the Apiarian can predict an 

 immediate issue, more especially if it be a first. 



The issue of after swarms may often be foretold by 

 a shrill piping sound, to be heard in the interior of the 

 hive, one or two days previotisly, the cause of which 

 I will presently explain. 



It is rarely that a first swarm will come forth in bad 



