NATURAL SWARMING. 63 



remove the young Queen if possible before returning 

 the Bees. 



The increase of colonies by natural swarming requires 

 the least amount of knowledge or skill, and will, with 

 those Bee-keepers who have not acquired some degree 

 of scientific Apiarian skill, be for long the only method 

 allowed. Langstroth cites the following objections to 

 natural swarming, which are, without doubt, well 

 founded: "First. A serious objection to reliance on 

 natural swarming, is the vexatious fact, that swarming 

 hives are so constructed that although Bees often refuse 

 to swarm at all, they cannot furnish to their crowded 

 occupants sufficient accommodation for storing honey. 

 Under such circumstances, hordes of useless consumers 

 will often (for months) blacken the outside of the hives, 

 to the great loss of their disappointed owners. Second. 

 Another objection to natural swarming arises from the 

 disheartening fact that Bees are liable to swarm so often, 

 as to destroy the value of both parent stock, and its 

 after swarms. Experienced Bee-keepers obviate this 

 difficulty by making one good colony out of two second 

 swarms, returning to the parent stock all after the second, 

 and even that, if the season be far advanced. In frame 

 hives, second swarming may be prevented by removing 

 all the Queen cells but one ; after the first swarm has 

 left, by removing all but two ; thus provision may be 

 made for the issue of second swarms, if thought desir- 

 able, and yet all further swarming be prevented. After 

 swarms, in many instances, have to be returned again 

 and again before one Queen is allowed by the Bees to 

 destroy the others. In this way a large portion of the 

 gathering season is often wasted, as Bees seem unwill- 

 ing to work with their wonted energy, so long as the 

 pretentions of several rival Queens remain unsettled. 



