Methods of Hiving. 251 
destroy all queen-cells, and exchange this hive —after 
taking out three or four frames of brood to strengthen 
nuclei—with one that recently swarmed. Thus a colony 
that recently sent out a swarm, but retained their queen, 
has probably, from the decrease of bees, loss of brood, and 
removal of queen-cells, lost the swarming fever, and if we 
give them plenty of room and ventilation, they will accept 
the bees from a new swarm, and spend their future ener- 
gies in storing honey. If the swarming fever is not broken 
up, we shall enly have to repeat the operation again in a 
few days. 
Still another modification, in case no increase of bees but 
rather comb honey is desired, is recommended by such 
apiarists as Doolittle, Davis, and others. The queen is 
caged seven days, the queen-cells in the hive are then 
destroyed, the queen liberated, and everything is arranged 
for immense yields of comb honey. In this case the queen 
is idle, but the bees seem to have lost not one jot of their 
energy. Dr. C. C. Miller, instead of caging the queen, 
places her with a nucleus on top of the old hive, thus keep- 
ing her at work, by exchange of frames. After seven days 
he destroys the queen-cells in the old hive and unites the 
nucleus with it. Here the queen is kept at work, the 
swarming impulse subdued, and a mighty colony made 
ready for business. This plan slightly modified has the 
sanction of such admirable apiarists as Messrs. Elwood and 
Hetherington. 
Two objections are sometimes raised right here. Sup- 
*pose several swarms issue at once, one of which is a second 
swarm, which of course has a virgin queen, then all will 
go off together, and our loss is grievous indeed. I answer 
that second swarms are unprofitable and should never be 
permitted. We should be so vigilant that this fate would 
never befall us. If we will not give this close attention 
without such stimulus, then it were well to have this 
threatening danger hanging over us. Again, suppose we 
are not right at hand when the swarm issues, the queen 
wanders away and possibly is lost. Yes, but if unclipped 
the whole colony would go, now it is only the queen. 
Usually the queen gets back. If not, a little looking will 
