INCREASE. 
CHAPTER XV. 
When swarming is kept down as much as possible, as advised in pre- 
ceding chapters, usually there will not be much natural increase of colonies, 
especially when producing extracted honey. For this reason it is often de- 
sirable to make increase artificially instead of by the uncertain method 
of natural swarming. Beginners should be warned against making too 
much increase, for, except in the hands of an expert, if the number of colo- 
nies is more than doubled in one season, there is danger of losing many of 
the colonies later. 
Our advice to beginners is, not to attempt an increase of their number 
of colonies before the main honey flow, as it usually results in a decided 
eutting down of the surplus-honey crop, unless in a locality where the 
main honey flow comes late in the season as in some parts of the buckwheat 
region and some portions of the South. This is because a colony of bees 
cannot give up a large part of its number to increase and remain strong 
enough to do the maximum of honey-gathering. Still, for those who wish 
to make increase regardless of the honey crop, we will mention briefly a 
safe and easy method that may be used before the cells are started and 
can be applied before, during or after the honey flow. 
How to Divide Colonies. 
As soon as settled warm weather comes, such that there can be no 
danger of chilling the brood, a strong colony, having not less than six or 
seven frames of brood, may be divided into two, giving five frames to each. 
When making this division two-thirds of the bees and all of the sealed 
and emerging brood may be placed in the hive on the new stand, the en- 
trance best being closed with grass, and a ripe queen-cell or good laying 
queen introduced. The vacant space of each hive should be filled with 
foundation, or, better still, with drawn combs. On account of danger of 
chilling the brood, it is advisable not to give the five extra frames at one 
time, but only as fast as the bees can cover them. Any time there is thus 
left a space not filled with frames in the hive, this space should be separated 
from the frames covered by the bees by a division-board to conserve the 
heat. Both of the colonies may then be built up by slow stimulative 
feeding. 
The reason that no sealed brood and so few bees are left at the old 
stand is because, when the bees from the new stand take their first flight, 
many will not. realize that their hive has been moved, and will, therefore, 
return to the old location, so that the two colonies will soon be about evenly 
divided. Had much unsealed brood been moved to the new stand, there 
would have been danger that so many old bees would leave that the brood 
‘ would become chilled; but, having only sealed brood, this danger is avoided, 
for young bees are constantly emerging to take the place of the old ones, 
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