Farmers' Bulletin 1198 



ing in the fields. In some cases in 

 nature the instinct to gather nectar 

 is almost entirely subordinated for 

 several days at this time, the swarm- 

 ing instinct apparently becoming 

 dominant. In well-managed colonies 

 this is not universally true. 



When the swarm issues, a varying 

 proportion of the adult bees, together 

 with the old queen, fly from the hive, 

 leaving in the original hive a greatly 

 reduced number of adult worker bees, 

 a large number of unemerged young 

 bees, and several unemerged young 

 queens. Some of the drones accom- 

 pany the swarm, but many of them 

 remain in the hive. After circling in 

 the air the swarming bees form a 

 dense cluster (flg. 1) on some con- 

 venient support, and after an interval 

 they break the cluster and fly to a 

 chosen abode for the inauguration of 

 a new colony. After establishing 

 themselves in a new home the bees 

 begin almost immediately to build 

 comb, the queen begins to lay eggs, 

 and three weeks later young bees be- 

 gin to emerge from the cells. 



About a week after the issuing of 

 the prime swarm the first of the young 

 queens in the parent colony emerges 

 from her cell. Instead of destroying 

 the other young queens and establish- 

 ing this first emerged young queen as 

 the new mother of the colony, the bees 

 usually swarm again about eight days 

 after the prime swarm has issued, 

 this afterswarm being accompanied by 

 one or more young queens. Other 

 afterswarms, each one smaller than 

 the preceding, may issue with an in- 

 terval of one or two days between 

 until the colony is so reduced in num- 

 bers that further swarming is given 

 up and all but one of the remaining 

 young queens are killed. About 10 

 days after emergence the surviving 

 yqun? Qjieen usually begins to lay, 

 anu normal brood-rearing is again 

 established in the parent colony after 

 an interval of at least 16 days during 

 which no eggs have been laid. Bach 

 afterswarm establishes itself in a new 

 abode, begins building its combs, and 

 the young queen begins to lay about 

 10 days after emergence. If sufficient 

 food is available such colonies may 

 build up to normal strength for 

 winter. This is the natural method 

 of reproduction of colonies in the 

 honeybee. 



OBJECT OF SWARM CONTROL 



Swarm control is one of the most 

 important factors in the recent de- 



velopment of commercial honey pro- 

 duction on an extensive scale. It was 

 practically unknown until within com- 

 paratively recent years. Formerly a 

 colony swarmed when it got ready, 

 and no attempt was made to foretell, 

 forestall, or prevent the act. It was 

 necessary to watch the bees constantly 

 during the greater part of the day 

 while the swarming season lasted 

 to prevent the escape of issuing 

 swarms. When a swarm issued it 

 was hived in a separate hive, and in 

 due time the parent colony sent out 

 one, two, and often three or more 

 afterswarms, thus dividing the orig- 

 inal colony into several parts, each 

 of which was too small for profitable 

 honey production, except during an 

 occasional season of abundance or in 

 an especially favorable locality. The 

 issuing of these prime swarms and 

 afterswarms was looked upon as a 

 part of the annual program of the 

 bees. 



Gradually methods were devised for 

 the prevention of afterswarms, and 

 systems of management were worked 

 out whereby the actual working force 

 of the colony is not divided by the 

 issuing of the prime swarm. During 

 more recent years methods have been 

 devised by which swarming is either 

 prevented entirely or the act of 

 swarming is anticipated by the bee- 

 keeper, which permits the control of 

 swarming' without constant attend- 

 ance. This has made it possible for 

 a be^eeper to operate a series of 

 apiaries without an attendant in each 

 to watch for and hive the issuing 

 swarms. 



The beekeeper's problem at the be- 

 ginning of the honey flow is twofold: 

 (1) To prevent a division of the work- 

 ing force of the colonies ; (2) to stimu- 

 late the storing instinct to the utmost 

 degree throughout the honey flow. A 

 division of the working forces or a 

 subordination of the storing instinct at 

 this time will cause a loss in the crop. 

 Swarming can be prevented in many 

 ways, but great care is necessary to 

 avoid causing a subordination of the 

 storing instinct, thus reducing the 

 crop of honey, because the bees work 

 with less vigor. 



In extracted honey production it is 

 now possible practically to prevent 

 swarming in certain regions where the 

 character of the honey flow, its dura- 

 tion, and the time of its occurrence 

 with reference to the advancement of 

 the season are such as to discourage 

 swarming, but this is by -no -means 



