80 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



entrance in a thickening cloud, the apiarist, smoker in 

 hand and queen cage in his pocket, should open the hive 

 to ascertain the cause of the swarm. Nine times out of 

 ten want of room is responsible. If any of the precautions 

 mentioned have been neglected the remedy is obvious. 

 The reader with a retentive memory will recall the spring 

 instructions given under "Out-yards" to clip all queens' 

 wings. This operation should be performed at the first 

 overhaul of the apiary after the winter. 



HIVING SWARMS. 



When a swarm has issued, if the apiarist is on hand 

 he should cage the queen, (she will usually be found 

 vainly attempting to fly or else climbing up the grass 

 stalks in front of the hive) and place her in his pocket 

 or some shady place away from the ants. If left in the 

 blazing sun she will very likely save her owner any further 

 trouble. Look lively — because the swarm will soon miss 

 their queen and hurry back to where they last heard her — 

 and open the hive. The combs will be found crammed 

 with brood in all stages. Leave one comb containing very 

 young unsealed larvae only — take care there is no queen- 

 cell on this comb — look carefully, because the swarm 

 would not have issued unless some queen-cells were under 

 way, and fill the hive body with frames of foundation; 

 put on a queen-excluder, and place empty supers on top, 

 then close the hive. 



By this time the bees will be returning to find the 

 queen, and it is safe to lay the cage at the door, until 

 evening, when she may be released. It is not advised to 

 release her immediately, for the swarm will sometimes 

 leave the second time, either because they have not 

 noticed the altered interior of the hive, or are in some 

 way dissatisfied with it. Swarms leaving the hives 

 within a short period of each other show a tantalising 

 disposition to unite. Keeping the queen locked up till 

 evening often avoids this trouble. When one remembers 

 that a swarm (Fig. 42) is just as likely to cluster on a 



