ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 197 



Apiarian may be sure of having an abundance of sealed 

 queens almost mature, so that every swarm may have one. 

 If he can give each hive that needs it, an unhatched queen, 

 without removing her from her frame, so much the better ; 

 but if he has not enough frames with sealed queens, while 

 some of them contain two or more queens, he must proceed 

 as follows : 



With a very sharp knife, carefully cut out a queen cell, 

 on a piece of comb an inch or more square ; cut a place 

 in one of the combs of the hive to which this cell is 

 to be given, just about large enough to receive it in a natu- 

 ral position, and if it is not secure, put a little melted wax 

 with a feather, where the edges meet. The bees will soon 

 fasten it, so as to make all right. Unless very great care is 

 used in transferring these royal cells, the enclosed queens 

 will be destroyed ; as their bodies, until they are nearly 

 mature, are so exceedingly soft, that a very slight compres- 

 sion of their cell often kills them. For this reason, I prefer 

 not to remove them, until they are within three or four days 

 of hatching. As the forcing of a swarm may always be 

 conducted, with my hives, in such a manner that the Apia- 

 rian can be sure to effect a suitable division of the bees, the 

 process may be performed at any time when the sun is 

 above the horizon, and the weather is not too unpleasant. 

 It ought not to be attempted when the weather is so cool as 

 to endanger the destruction of the brood, by a chill ; and 

 never unless when there is not only sufficient light to enable 

 the Apiarian to see distinctly, but enough for the bees that 

 take wing, to see the hive, and direct their flight to its en- 

 trance. If hives are meddled with, when it is dark, the 

 bees are always more irascible, and as they cannot see 

 where to fly, they will constantly be alighting upon the per- 

 son of the bee-keeper, who will be almost sure to receive 

 17* 



