SWARMING.—Chapter XI. 
and within easy reach, a 
basket or a commodious 
box or bag will serve as 
a swarm-catcher. 
If the bees have clus- 
tered low on the branch 
of some tree or bush, the 
capture of them is made 
easy. Hither shake the 
bees into a box or basket 
or cut off the branch and 
carry it to the newly pre- 
pared hive, then shake 
the bees off on the alight- 
ing-board or other broad 
board placed temporar- 
ily in front of the en- 
trance of the hive. 
Some prefer spreading a 
sheet in front of the hive 
on which to shake the 
bees; but while this is a 
little neater it is not es- 
sential. 
When the swarm has 
Here is a swarm clustered on the low branches of a been shaken down a 
tree and easy to secure. front of the hive en- 
trance the bees will 
quickly begin crawling into the hive (or can be directed into it by brusb- 
ing or gently smoking) and continue to enter the hive in the most enthusi- 
astic way. Once in, they remain there contented, if the queen be with 
them. But if the bees begin running out of the hive and acting dissatis- 
fied, apparently searching for something, the beginner may know that the 
queen has not entered the hive. He should then make diligent search for 
her, and will be likely to find her near by, perhaps*under the hive, at- 
tended by a little group of bees, or he may find her at the original cluster- 
ing place if all the cluster was not at first secured, and she will. be found 
with an accompaniment of worker bees. 
But suppose the swarm has clustered high in a tree or bush and the 
bees cannot be shaken into a box or basket nor carried on the branch when 
cut off, to the hive, as in the supposed case just described. Then, climbing 
or the use of a ladder may have to be resorted to, or the basket attached to 
the long pole (before described) brought into use. Having got the basket 
or box just beneath the cluster, with a smart shake or jar drop the cluster 
of bees into the basket or box. The queen is altogether likely to be in the 
mass of bees so shaken. Then carry them quickly to the hive entrance and 
proceed there as before described. If the basket attached to the end of 
the long pole has to be resorted to, a thrust ‘upward with the pole, striking 
the branch with the crotch of the pole or the edge of the basket, will serve 
to jar the bees into the basket, which may then be quickly lowered and 
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