NATURAL SWARMING. 6i 



little knot of Bees round about, for the Queen will 

 seldom remain many minutes alone. Her faithful sub- 

 jects crowd about, anxious for her safety, until a minia- 

 ture swarm is formed, which, if not disturbed, will remain 

 for days, until all the individuals composing it are dead 

 of starvation and exposure. Should the Queen be found, 

 introduce her to the hive, and it will then progress 

 satisfactorily. After the Bees have all entered, gently 

 lift up the hive, place it on its floor board, cover all up 

 secure from cold and wet, and bearing in mind the 

 caution as to feeding in bad weather, we may leave our 

 young colony to fulfil its appointed task. 



Should two or three swarms issue together or within a 

 few hours, and the owner be not anxious to increase his 

 stocks, these may be profitably amalgamated ; three 

 swarms put together will gather more honey than if kept 

 separate. The best way to unite them is to hive them 

 in separate skeps, and proceed as I have described for 

 stocking a frame hive. It is advisable to well sprinkle 

 each swarm with syrup, scented with peppermint, before 

 uniting them ; fighting will, by this precaution, not be 

 likely to occur. If the Apiarian has no preference for 

 either Queen, the Bees may be allowed to determine the 

 right of sovereignty themselves ; but if it be desired 

 that a particular Queen should be the survivor, the 

 others must be sought for and removed ; this may be 

 done by searching for the Queen when on the cloth, or 

 in the skep, each lot separately, and not allowing the 

 Workers to mingle until they be found. A Queen is 

 very easily missed, and a tyro will, perhaps, find this a 

 troublesome and difficult work. 



The Bee-keeper is often sadly disappointed after all 

 his trouble in hiving the swarm, to find in a day or two 

 the Bees will not accept their quarters. Something is 



