CHAPTER XII 



INCREASING AND UNITING 



IT frequently happens that it is desirable to divide 

 colonies, either for increasing the stock or with a 

 view to the prevention of swarming. The method 

 usually adopted is the one known as artificial 

 swarming, and it is capable of many variations. 

 Artificial swarming is especially useful in cases 

 where it is suspected that colonies may swarm, 

 for tr^en this may be done for them, and any 

 possible loss of the natural swarm or trouble in 

 securing it obviated. There are certain rules to 

 be observed in this process of division. They 

 are few in number, but they must be rigidly 

 adhered to, or failure will attend the efforts of 

 the apiarist. First, only strong colonies must be 

 divided; secondly, the* swarm must be made in 

 the middle of a warm day, when the bees are 

 flying freely; thirdly, it must not be done before 

 drones are plentiful for the. fertilization of the 

 young queens. 



To divide one. colony into two^ take the frame 



on which the queen is found and place it in a 



new hive, filling up the hive with' frames of empty 



comb or sheets of comb foundation. A frame 



f 81 



