78 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



SWARMS AND SWARMING. 



SWARMING TIME. 



There are few people in Australasia who have not at 

 some time or another encountered a swarm of bees 

 hanging by the roadside. Those so witnessed it is fairly- 

 safe to say are natural or normal swarms. Now before 

 any surprise is expressed at the term "natural," it is 

 only right to say that all swarms are not normal ones. 

 In early spring, when the insects have just come out of 

 a rigorous winter with little or no stores, and are faced 

 with starvation, they sometimes leave the hive in search 

 of better living. The remedy is obvious, supply them with 

 the necessary food and all are contented. Again, someone 

 may have been robbing bees in a tree in the forest. The 

 removal or destruction of the combs leaves the bees 

 without a home, so they cluster similarly to a normal 

 swarm until the scouts find a new domicile. It has been 

 proved that swarms so clustered despatch a number of 

 home seekers who, on returning, lead them to the desired 

 haven, perhaps a knot-hole in some forest giant. 



From the bee-farmer's point of view the term 

 "prime" swarm describes the first exodus of bees headed 

 by the old queen — very rarely the first swarm is led by 

 a young or virgin queen — bent on establishing a new 

 community. It is really an expression of the bees' idea 

 "to multiply and replenish the earth." Hives in a state 

 of Nature often cast more than one swarm, but the second, 

 third, and' sometimes fourth, get respectively smaller 



