NATUEAL SWAltMING. 135 



CHAPTEE XXVII. 



NATUEAL SWAEMING. 



This has been described in the first part of this book ; 

 but as there are so many things in natural swarming that 

 should be well understood, we trust we will be excused 

 if we venture to examine briefly a few of them. 



The time or season of swarming depends on both the 

 locality and the management of the hives. Some places 

 are warmer and earlier than others. Some places have 

 more spring flowers than others. In the southern parts 

 of our island, swarming, in ordinary seasons, should com- 

 mence in the beginning of May. The earliest natural 

 swarm we have ever known was at Eosebank — a small 

 ^^llage on the Clyde, in the centre of Lanarkshire. It 

 came off on the 28th of April. We have heard of swarms 

 coming off in April in Dorset and Devonshire. These . 

 are early parts. In Lan^mfe our hives begin to swarm'= 

 about the 10th of May; but much depends on autumn 

 treatment. If hives kept for stock are crammed full of 

 bees, then they wiU. be ready to swarm four weeks sooner 

 than those that are left to their own resources. But we 

 have already touched on this point, and will return to it 

 again. 



When hives are ready to swarm and mean to do so, 

 eggs are set in royal cells generally about four, days be- 

 fore the swarms issue. The combs are well fiUed with 



