166 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



FORCED SWARillNG. 



This plan has oome into great prominence lately under the 

 name of forced, shaken, or Crushed swarms. Gravenhorst, the 

 STeat German authority, practiced and advocated it in the seven- 

 ties of the last century. L. Staohelhausen was earnest in his 

 advocacy of the plan in this country, and E. E. Root, editor of 

 Gleauhigs in Bee Culture, took it up with great enthusiasm. 

 Probably a good many had done more or less at it independent- 

 ly, for it would naturally suggest itself that taking away all the 

 brood would leave a colony in much the same condition as if 

 they bad swarmed; and in actual practice most of those who 

 had tried the plan have found bees no more inclined to swarm 

 after it than after natural swarming. 



FORCED VERSUS NATURAL SWARMING. 



Many have found the plan a material advance over natural 

 swarming. One very great advantage is sufficient to commend 

 it; the beekeeper is master of the situation, and is not dependent 

 ujion the whims of the bees as to when they shall swarm — an 

 inestimablp boon to those who have out-apiaries, and indeed to 

 any one who does not wish the trouble of watchiiii^' for .swarms. 



STRONGER FORCE IN FORCED SWARMING. 



it also gi-^es the beekeeper control over the number of bees 

 that shall remain with the swarm. In natural swarming there 

 may be too few bees go with the swarm for best results in 

 storing, while there may still be not enough for any hope of 

 good work in the parent colony, with a possibility of this latter 

 force being- still further divided by after-swarms. In the case 

 of a forced swarm, all the bees may be allowed to remain on the 

 old si and except merely enough to care for the brood which is 

 laken away. This brood may then be put on a new stand, and 

 with the addition of a queen or a ciueen-cell allowed to start out 

 (in ils career as an independent colony. 



SHAKING OFF ALL BEES. 



Or the forced swarm may be made still stronger by giving 

 it all the bees, and distributing the brood to nuclei, weak colo- 



