THE COTTAGE AND FAEM BEE KEEPER. W 



When the swarm reissues,* whioh will probably take place some 

 time in the fortnight succeeding the old queen's removal ; that is, if 

 the queen was destroyed according to the plan proposed above — let it 

 be hived first in a common bell hive, and afterwards transferred to 

 the box designed for its final reception, after which, it may be removed 

 the same evening to the bee house. 



I need hardly repeat that it will not alwayst be necessary to destroy 

 the old queen, however advisable, especially where her age does not 

 exceed one whole year at the time of the issue of the prime swarm. 

 In this case, after the swarm has been transferred to its box, it will 

 be moved off, as in the former instance, to its intended locality. 



Now, in both these cases, second swarms, or casts, must be looked for. 

 Where the prime swarm was headed by a young princess, the cast 

 will issue probably in two or three days. Let it be returned to the 

 parent stock, after cutting out from it the surviving royal cells. In 

 this way, both hives should be treated, so as to encourage their strong 

 establishment for another year. In the autumn, if necessary, a suffi- 

 cient quantity of comb may be cut away, supposing either of the 

 stocks exceeded three or four years in age. Full directions as to every 

 method of managing these stocks having already been given elsewhere, 

 I shall not follow up their history in this place. • 



To turn our attention, therefore, to the two swarms now located in 

 the bee house — when first established in their new quarters, for some 

 days at least, they ought not to be meddled with in any way, except 

 in the event of cold or wet weather succeeding, in which case, one of 

 the holes at the top may be uncorked, and a feeder slipped over it, 

 covered with a pane of glass, and something to exclude the light. The 

 feeder may contain from If to 3 lbs. liquid honey or sugared 

 ale. Of course, there is no objection to inspecting the interior of the 

 box by the windows supplied for that purpose, though even this in 

 moderation, at first, lest the bees, who are a fastidious people, should 

 take a dislike to their new home, and decamp with the first opportu- 

 nity. Bad weather will often succeed the hiving a swarm. In this 



* Observe, I would by no means advise the compulsion of the swarm on its final re-ia- 

 sue, except in a case of extreme necessity, chiefly because it would become greatly weak- 

 ened by the return of a great part of its numbers to the old stand and hive. 



t See Appendix, Note I. 



