Preventing Increase of Colonies. 255 



p. M.; or in very hot weather from 6 a. m. to 4 p. m., or 

 even later. Of course there is relief on rainy days. 



Farmers can keep many swarms and attend to their farm 

 work as usual. They have only to have a boy or girl to 

 catch and cage the queens — the "gude wife" may do this 

 — and let him know at noon or night what colonies have 

 swarmed. When a colony swarms, the impulse seems to 

 be general, and often a half dozen colonies will be on the 

 wing in a trice. These will very often, generally, in truth, 

 cluster together. In this case, to find the queens is well 

 nigh impossible, and we can only divide up the bees into 

 suitable colonies, and as soon as we find any starting queen- 

 cells, give them a queen. Of course we may lose every 

 queen but one. In view of this trouble, and the expense 

 and doubtful practicality of the various swarm catchers in 

 vogue, I would say clip the queen's wing. 



If no more colonies are desired, the swarm may be given 

 to a colony which has previously swarmed, after removing 

 from the latter all queen-cells, and adding to the room bv 

 putting on the sections, and removing some frames of brood 

 to strengthen nuclei. These frames may be replaced with 

 empty frames. We may even return the bees to their old 

 home by taking the same precautionary measures, with a 

 good hope that storing and not swarming will engage their 

 attention in future; and if we exchange their position with 

 that of a nucleus, we shall be still moi'e likely to succeed 

 in overcoming the desire to swarm; though some seasons, 

 usually when honey is being gathered each day for long 

 intervals, but not in large quantities, the desire and deter- 

 mination of some colonies to swarm is implacable. Room, 

 ventilation, changed position of hive, each and all will fail. 

 Then we can do no better than to gratify the propensity 

 by giving the swarm a new home, and make an effort 



TO PREVENT SECOND SWARMS. 



The Heddon method of preventing second swarms has 

 already been explained. This method is valuable because it 

 requires no looking up of queen-cells, and thus saves time. 



As already stated, the wise apiarist will always have cm 

 hand extra queens. Now, if he does not desire to form 



