SWARMING AND HI\'ING. 6.''! 



bees are clustered on a small limb, high above j'our 

 reach, secure a basket to a pole, and raise it directly 

 beneath the cluster. Dislodge the bees from their 

 position, when they will fall directly into the basket, 

 which you should take down quickly and shake the 

 bees from it down to the entrance to the hive, and 

 proceed as before. Keep the limb on which they 

 were clustered in motion for a few minutes, to pre- 

 \ent their return. Should they cluster on the body 

 of a tree, or a large limb, where they cannot be 

 shaken oft', set your hive nearby, as before directed, 

 and with a handled dipper^ dip them off" and turn 

 them down in front of the hive near the entrance. 

 Dip very carefully, so as not to crush any of the 

 bees. They will not attempt to sting if you treat 

 them well, and prove to them that you are their 

 friend. After you have dipped off a portion of the 

 bees, and got them moving into the hive, if the 

 queen is with them, they will all leave the cluster 

 and join their companions who are entei^ing their 

 new home. But if the queen remains with the 

 cluster, as soon as those entering the hive discover 

 that she is not with them, they will leave the hive 

 and rejoin the cluster. So it is well to keep dip- 

 ping as long as you can get any of the bees, or till 

 you are certain the bees are leaving the cluster and 

 entering the hi^e of their own accord. 



It sometimes happens in natural swarming, that 

 when a swarm issues, led by the old queen, which 

 has occupied the hive for a year or more, that she 

 finds herself unable to fly, and drops down in front 

 of the ni^e. In this case if left to themselves, the 



