Mivnw Swarms. 183 



if several swarms cluster together, we have not to separate 

 them ; they will separate of themselves and return to their old 

 homes. To migrate without the queen means death, and life 

 is sweet even to bees, and is not to be willingly given up ex- 

 cept for home and kindred. Neither has the apiarist to climb 

 trees, to secure his bees from bushy trunks, from off the lat- 

 tice-work or pickets of his fence, from the very top of a tall, 

 slender fragile, fruit tree, or othe^ most inconvenient places. 

 Nor will he even be tempted to pay his money for patent non- 

 swarming hivers or patent swarm catchers. He knows his 

 bees will return to their old quarters, so he is not perturbed 

 by the fear of loss or plans to capture the unapproachable. 

 It requires no effort ' ' to possess his soul in patience. " 

 If he wishes no increase, he steps out, takes the queen 

 by the remaining wings, as she emerges from the hive, 

 soon after the bees commence their hilarious leave tak- 

 ing, puts her in a cage, opens the hive, destroys, or, if he 

 wishes to use them, cuts out the queen cells as already describ- 

 ed, gives more room — either by adding boxes or taking out 

 some of the frames of brood, as they may well be spared, 

 places the cage enclosing the queen under the quilt, and leaves 

 the bees to return at their pleasure. At night-fall the queen 

 is liberated, and very likely the swarming fever is subdued for 

 the season. 



If it is desired to hive the absconding swarm with a nucleus 

 colony, exchange the places of the old hive containing the 

 caged queen, and the nucleus, to which the swarm wiU then 

 come. Remove queen-cells from the old hive as before, give 

 some of the combs of brood to the nucleus, which is now a 

 full colony, and empty frames, filled with foundation, or if 

 you have them empty combs, to both, liberate the queen at 

 night and all is well, and the apiarist rejoices in a new colony. 

 If the apiarist has neglected to form nuclei, and so has no 

 extra queens — and this is a negkct — and wishes to hive his 

 swarnjs separately, he places his caged queen in a hive fiUed 

 with frames of foundation, which he replaces the old hive 

 till the bees return ; then this new hive, with queen and bees, 

 and still better, with a irame or two of brood, honey, etc. , in 

 the middle, taken from the old hive, is set on a new stand. 

 The old hive, with all the queen-cells except the largest and 

 finest one removed, is set back, so that the apiarist has fore- 



