NATURAL AXD ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 163 



prosperous season, the first swarm is not kept back by 

 foul weather, the first of the young queens in the old 

 colony is ready to emerge fi-om the cell in seven or eight 

 days. The second swarm may be expected in about two 

 days thereafter. On the morning of that day, or the 

 evening previous, by putting your ear close to the hive, 

 and listening attentively a few minutes, you will hear a 

 distinct piping noise like the word ' • peep," uttered several 

 times in succession, and followed by an interval of silence. 

 Two or more may be heaa-d at the same time ; one wiU be 

 shrill and fine, another hoarse, short, and quick. These 

 notes are probably never heard except when the hive con- 

 tains a plurality of queens. I never failed to hear it, 

 previous to any after-swai-m, whenever I listened, 



PKEVENTIXG AFTER-SWARMS. 



A very decided improvement in practice, for those who 

 have hitherto allowed their bees to swarm at will, is to 

 permit but one swarm to issue. As this will, in an aver- 

 age season, give a satisfactory increase, and furnish more 

 or less surplus, it will, to many, prove a desirable method. 

 I shall therefore give directions for preventing after- 

 swarms. When the first swarm issues, hive it as just de- 

 scribed. Twenty-four hours later, open the hive from 

 which it came, and remove all the queen-cells. Smoke 

 the bees thoroughly, and introduce a laying queen, as di- 

 rected in Chap. "^^II. Examine the hive a few days later, 

 to ascertain if the queen has been accepted, when, if no 

 queen-cells have been overlooked, swarming will usu- 

 ally be ended for the season. 



Another method which I prefer, is to prepare a nucleus, 

 as elsewhere mentioned, in the hive which is to receive 

 the swarm. "With this method, the queens should first 

 have their wings clipped. When the swarm starts, go to 

 the hive, and watch for the queen. Her wing being 



