83 



Artificial a warming may be performed at' any time of day subject 

 to the conditions above stated (186) . To do 

 187. Making an eo, remove the stock hive to a position im- 

 Artificial Swarm for mediately adjacent to , but on one side of 

 Sale, from one Stock, its stand ; if the stand is of concrete, place 

 on it the swarm-box (56) in which the 

 bees are to be placed for despatch, the box being inverted, and 

 placed with its front edge resting on a small stone, thus raising 

 the front of the box so as to permit the bees to run into it ; if 

 the stand is not concrete, place a board on the stand and invert 

 the swarm-box on it as above described, then place a hiving- 

 board in position somewhat as for hiving a swarm (75) , letting 

 it rest against the stand or board on which the swarm-box has 

 been placed; uncover the stock hive, lift the frames out in 

 succession, beginning at the back, and shake or brush the bees 

 ofE the frames on to the hiving-board from which they will 

 move into the swarm-box : replace each frame in the 

 stock hive after it has been cleared of bees : while this is 

 being done, a sharp look-out must be kept for the queen, as 

 she must be transferred with the bees to the hiving-board : 

 about three to three and a half pounds of bees is as much as can 

 usually be taken artificially from a stock without risk of chilling 

 the brood; therefore, an artificial swarm is usually lighter 

 than a strong natural ewarm, but as the bees of a natural 

 Bwarm have stored their sacs with honey, each pound in weight 

 of an artificial swarm will contain many more bees than would a 

 similar weight of a natural swarm (11) . Theweightof the swarm 

 may be easily ascertained by weighing the swarm-box when 

 empty and again when the bees are in it ; when sufficient bees 

 have been thus transferred with the queen, cover the swarm- 

 box, replace the stock hive, remove the two outside frames 

 and a third if advisable, and supply extra covering to make up 

 for the loss of heat due to the removal of bees. 



To make an artificial swarm from one stock, for the purpose of 

 increasing the number of stocks in the 

 188. Making an apiary ; during the forenoon remove the 

 Artificial Swarm stock hive as above described (187) to 

 for Increase, fi-om a position at one side of its stand , 

 one Stock. ^^^^ place on the stand a hive containing 



three or four frames of foundation, or two 

 frames of empty comb and one or two of foundation ; then trans- 

 fer to this hive from the stock hive, one frame of honey and one 

 frame of brood, taking care that the queen is transferred on one 

 of these frames ; place the brood frame in the centre and the 

 honey frame at the back, then move the parent hive to a fresh 

 stand about ten yards from its old stand , and there let it re- 

 main. The flying bees will enter the new hive which has been 

 placed on the old stand, and will thus form an artificial swarm. 

 The hive containing the swarm should be examined when the 

 bees have ceased flying on the second day after makmg the 

 swarm ; if it is then found that the bees do not cover all the 



