NATURAL INCREASE. 33 



bee-keepers to be near the truth, so far as the first 

 two lines are concerned ; but the other lines convey 

 information that is far from correct, for casts or after- 

 swarms may be and often are of great value. In the 

 first place they are headed by a young queen, which 

 is a matter of prime importance, and, if the bees are 

 fairly numerous, a fair amount of surplus may be 

 gathered during the honey-flow. 



After a swarm has issued from a stock the latter is 

 queenless for eight days, at the end of which period 

 the young queens commence to issue from their cells. 

 The first to appear will endeavour to reach the cells 

 containing the other queens for the purpose of killing 

 them ; if prevented she makes a peculiar noise, which 

 may often be heard by the bee-keeper. This " peep, 

 peep," heard on the evening of the eighth day, has long 

 been taken as an almost sure sign that on the morrow 

 a second swarm or cast will issue. 



The issue of a cast may be confidently expected from 

 a strong stock that has lost with the swarm a vigorous 

 laying queen, for during the eight days following the 

 issue of the swarm, two thousand or more bees will 

 have been hatching daily, and therefore only bad 

 weather would stop a cast. Though only one queen 

 is found in a swarm, casts frequently contain several 

 that have escaped during the excitement of swarming. 

 In the evening only one queen will be left as the result 

 of several battles. 



CONTEOLLING SWABMING. 



To a bee-keeper swarming is a charming sight, 

 3 



