COMB HONEY—HONEY FLOW AND HARVEST.—Chapter XIV. 
opening of the honey flow 
t = Sa when the extra hive-body is 
removed and the queen and 
= brood placed in the lower 
story as previously mention- 
ed, it is possible that the 
colonies may show no desire 
to swarm. But it may be 
that a colony will show a set- 
tled determination to swarm 
in spite of the best of care 
on the part of the begin- 
When a swarm issues it is hived in a new hive 
placed on the old stand, the old hive being placed ner; for in comb-honey pro- 
at one side with its entrance turned away. The duction the shallow supers 
supers are placed on the new hive on the old stand. : . : : 
with their sections, which are 
the little boxes for the storing of the honey, are not so attractive to the bees 
as larger combs such as are placed in the supers for extracted-honey pro- 
duction. Therefore, unless the supers are “baited” by placing in them 
some sections containing drawn comb, saved over from the previous year, 
the tendency is to crowd the honey into the combs of the brood-chamber, 
thus diminishing the space for the queen to lay and bringing on the crowded 
condition so conducive to swarming. 
An expert beekeeper can do much toward overcoming this state of 
affairs, especially by skill in supering (see page 86), and keeping the bees 
comfortable. It is well for the beginner to keep in mind that if the bees 
are always comfortable and have plenty of room there is much less tendency 
to swarm than when conditions are less favorable. The hives should be 
shaded by means of shade-boards which project beyond the edges of the 
hives if single-walled hives are used, and the entrance should be opened to 
full size, giving an entrance % inch deep by the full width. 
While there is plenty of nectar to be had the bees should not be per- 
mitted to cluster on the outside of the hive. This indicates that the colony 
needs more room or more ventilation. Of course, after the honey flow 
has passed it is entirely normal for the bees to cluster on the outside of the 
hive during hot weather, but 
during the honey flow they : —-__, 
should all be at work. = —) 
Some of the methods of 
swarm prevention when pro- = 
ducing comb honey are hard- ; 
ly practical for the begin- = 
ner. Therefore, if provid- P| —_____— 
ing ample room, ventilation, = = 
shade and perhaps destroy- = 
ing queen-cells’ when first ote 
started do not prove effect- 
ive, it may be found a help 
to remove a few frames of 
brood, either giving them to 
weak colonies or making of After the swarm has entered the new hive the 
them nuclei that later may entrance of the pad ne fomied toward that of 
87 
