FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 175 



begins during the last of fruit-bloom. Of late years dandelion 

 has become so important that there is a possibility it may start 

 swarming. Whether it be in apple or clover bloom, we begin 

 to examine some of the strongest colonies to see if any prepara- 

 tions for swarming are made. If we find none in the strongest 

 colonies it is haj-dly worth while to look through the rest. 

 When, however, we find one or more queen-cells with an egg in 

 each, then it is time to begin a systematic canvas of all colonies, 

 and to keep it up in all so long as we continue to find queen- 



Fig. 60 — Top and Bottom Starters in Section. 



cells in any, except in a case where a colony has already been 

 treated or has treated itself in such way that it need not be 

 expected to swarm. 



COLONIES THAT DO NOT NEED WATCHING. 



In struggling with the swaj-roing problem, there aie a few 

 things that may be relied upon with some degiee of certainty. 

 A swarm that has been hived in an empty hive this season will 

 not send forth a swarm this year, with rare exceptions. Equally 

 safe from swarming is a colony whose queen has been removed 



