larva of suitable age. This young queen will mature in from ten to twelve 

 days from the making of the swarm. Where possible, however, it is better 

 to introduce a fertile queen to a colony which has been swarmed, on the 

 evening of the same day. 



A very good swarm can be made from two colonies in the following 

 way : — 



On a fine day when bees are flying, open one of the hives and remove 

 therefrom half the combs containing brood. After shaking all the bees 

 off these combs place them in another hive, filling it, and also the hive the 

 combs were taken from, with spare combs or frames fitted with foundation 

 comb. Close up both hives, remove another full colony to a new stand, 

 and place the hive containing the removed combs of brood on the old 

 site. The returning bees will enter and form the swarm. To save time, 

 a fertile queen should be introduced. 



Where the bee-keeper has a number of hives a very good swarm can be 

 made by selecting from each one or more combs containing brood, but 

 leaving the most populous to supply the flying bees. All bees should be 

 shaken or brushed from the selected combs back into their respective 

 hives, and the gaps made by the removal of combs filled up with frames of 

 comb foundation. The selected combs of brood should be put into a 

 spare hive, which must be at once placed on the stand of the hive which 

 is to supply the bees for the swarm, and which is now moved to a new 

 stand. The flying bees enter the new hive and form the swarm, to which 

 a fertile queen should at once be given. 



In selecting combs from a number of hives for the purpose of making 

 a swarm, careful examination is necessary to make sure that none of such 

 combs is diseased. 



Rapid increase can be made by breaking up strong stocks to form 

 four or five nuclei, the latter being gradually built up into full stocks. 

 The following method has been worked successfully in the apiary of the 

 Edinburgh and East of Scotland College at Nether Liberton. 



Prepare. four spare hives and place them on their permanent stands. 

 On the evening of a fine day, when most of the bees are at home, remove 

 eight combs with the bees on them from a strong colony which is prepar- 

 ing to swarm. Most of these combs will have queen cells on them, and 

 two of them must be placed in each of the four spare hives, taking care to 

 leave the queen in the hive which is being broken up. There will then be 

 five divisions of the hive, or nuclei as they are termed, each with two 

 combs and brood. The one on the original stand has a queen, the other 

 four are queenless, but should have at least one queen cell each on one 

 of the combs. Place the two combs close up to the side of the brood 

 chamber in each of the four new divisions, and on the outside of them put 

 another comb with some honey in it so that each one has three combs, 

 two with brood and bees and one with honey. Cover up all four very 

 close and warm and plug up the entrances very tight with moss or green 

 grass so that no bees can get out. The one on the original stand which 



