146 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



with certainty, predict the issue of a first swarm. I devoted 

 annually, much attention to this point, vainly hoping to dis- 

 cover some infallible indications of first swarming ; until 

 taught by further reflection that, from the very nature of 

 the case, there can be no such indications. The bees, from 

 an unfavoroble state of the vireather, or the failure of the blos- 

 soms to yield an abundant supply of honey, often change 

 their minds, and refuse to swarm, even after all their pre- 

 parations have been completed. Nay more, they sometimes 

 send out no new colonies that season, when a sudden 

 change of weather has interrupted them on the very day 

 when they were intending to emigrate, and after they had 

 taken a full supply of honey for their journey. 



If on a fair, warm day in the swarming season, but few 

 bees leave a strong hive, while other colonies are busi- 

 ly at work, we may, unless the weather suddenly prove 

 unfavorable, look with great confidence for a swarm. As 

 the old queens, which accompany the first swarm, are 

 heavy with eggs, and fly with considerable difficulty, they 

 are shy of venturing out, except on fair, still days. If the 

 weather is very sultry, a swarm will sometimes issue as 

 early as 7 o'clock in the morniflg ; but from 10 to 2, is the 

 usual time, and the majority of swarms come off from 11 

 to 1. Occasionally, a swarm will venture out as late as 5 

 P. M. An old queen is seldom guilty of such a piece of 

 indiscretion. 



I have in repeated instances w^itnessed the whole process 

 of swarming, in my observing hives. On the day fixed for 

 their departure, the queen appears to be very restless, and 

 instead of depositing her eggs in the cells, she travels over 

 the combs, and communicates her agitation to the whole 

 colony. The emigrating bees fill themselves with honey, 

 some time before their departure : in one instance, I noticed 



