14 THE APIAUY; OR^ 



In case the bees do not speedily after swarming manifest signs 

 of settling, a few handfuls of sand or loose mould may be thrown 

 up in the air so as to fall among the winged throng ; they mistake 

 this for rain, and then very quickly determine upon settling. Some 

 persons squirt a little water from a garden engine in order to 

 produce the same effect. 



There are, indeed, many ingenious devices used by apiarians 

 for decoying the swarms. Mr. Langstroth mentions a plan of 

 stringing dead bees together, and tying a bunch of them on any shrub 

 or low tree upon which it is desirable that they should alight ; 

 another plan is, to hang some black woven material near the hives, 

 so that the swarming bees may be led to suppose they see another 

 colony, to which they will hasten to attach themselves. Swarms 

 have a great af&nity for each other when they are adrift in the air ; 

 but, of course, when the union has been effected, the rival queens have 

 to do battle for supremacy. A more ingenious device than any of the 

 above, is by means of a mirror to flash a reflection of the sun's rays 

 amongst a swarm, which bewilders the bees, and checks their flight. 

 It is manifestly often desirable to use some of these endeavours to 

 induce early settlement, and to prevent, if possible, the bees from 

 clustering in high trees or under the eaves of houses, wliere it may 

 be difficult to hive them. 



Should prompt measures not be taken to hive the bees as soon 

 as the cluster is well formed, there is danger of their starting on a 

 second flight ; and this is what the apiarian has so much to dread. 

 If the bees set off a second time, it is generally for a long flight, often 

 for miles, so that in such a case it is usually impossible to follow 

 them, and consequently a valuable colony may be irretrievably lost. 



Too much care cannot be exercised to prevent the sun's rays 

 falling on a swarm when it has once settled. If exposed to heat 

 in this way, bees are very likely to decamp. We have frequently 

 stretched matting or sheeting on poles so as to intercept the glare,* 

 and thus render their temporary position cool and comfortable. 



Two swarms sometimes depart at the same time and join 

 together; in such a case, we recommend that they be treated as one 

 by putting them into a liive as before described, taking care to give 

 abundant room, and not to delay affording access to the super hive 

 or glasses. They will settle their own notions of sovereignty by one 

 queen destroying the other. There are means of separating two 

 swarms if done at the time ; but the operation is a formidable one. 



