Cottager and Smailholder 17 
inverted receptacle. Now turn the skep dr box gently over, 
placing it on a board, sheet, or sack, with one edge propped 
up at least three inches for ventilation, and to allow the 
flying bees to enter, which they will quickly do if the queen 
has been secured. 
When shaking, care should be taken to get as many bees 
as possible into the skep or box to ensure securing the queen, 
for if she is left out they will take wing, and the whole 
operation will have to be repeated. If the swarm clusters in 
a position from which it is impossible to shake it, fix the 
empty skep or box above so that one edge just touches the 
topmost bees; they will then gradually go into it. To prevent 
the swarm absconding through being overheated, the skep 
or box containing it should be shaded from the sun by means 
of a sheet or open umbrella. In the evening they should be 
taken to their permanent stand, and run into a frame hive 
as described later. i 
Never dress the hiving receptacle inside with beer, treacle, 
or other sweet stuffs, as this may cause robbing by other 
bees. 
VI.—SECOND SWARMS, OR CASTS. 
A cast or second swarm usually comes out about nine days 
after the first one has issued. Generally, when bees anticipate 
casting, all the virgin queens in the cells are allowed to 
emerge, instead of the remainder being killed immediately the 
first one is out, which is the case when no further swarming 
is to take place. 
‘here may be from one to eight virgin queens in a cast, 
but after hiving one only survives in the eliminating fight. 
A virgin is also left in the parent stock to become its future 
mother. 
Casts should not be encouraged as they weaken the parent 
stock, and, apart from the small possibility of their being 
able, unless fed generously, to establish themselves strongly 
enough to winter successfully, reduce the old stock’s chance 
of building up strong enough to pass the same period in safety. 
Casts may be prevented by cutting out all queen cells but 
the best one immediately after the swarm has issued. If 
two, or even three casts are joinéd together they will be more 
likely to make strong stocks. 
D 
