THE CONTROLLABLE HIVE. 27 
several times; often swarming so much as to reduce the 
number of bees so low that the bee moth will effect its 
destruction during the summer; there not being bees 
enough to protect the combs from the attacks of this 
destructive little insect. This swarming problem I found 
very difficult to solve. There were so many conflicting 
theories, I found I could gain no positive, reliable infor- 
mation from any source, to aid me, and that I must solve 
the problem by practical experiment. 
Experience is a good teacher, but often a very costly 
one. Some told me if I wished to prevent swarming, I 
must cut out the queen cells, which the bees constructed 
preparatory to swarming, This was simply impossible 
with the box hive, so I constructed a hive with moveable 
frames, so the bees could build their combs in the frames, 
and each comb of the hive could be lifted out separately. 
But when I attempted to prevent swarming by cutting 
out the queen cells, I fonnd if I was to thwart nature in 
that way, I had, to say the least, a big job on my hands. 
I could ent out the queen cells, but within twenty-four 
hours after I had done this, the bees would have others 
constructed, and be ready to swarm, and as I kept 
cutting, they would keep building. They had the advan- 
tage of numbers and position, and when I opened the 
hive every day and destroyed such, to them, important 
work, they were not long in declaring and proclaiming 
me to be an enemy to them, and they would attack me 
whenever occasion offered. I soon found that if not 
impossible, it was certainly impracticable to prevent 
