SWAEMINO. 213 



to know -which are ready, as soon as one has started 

 or oommenoed flying, look at all the rest that are in 

 condition to swarm ; or, what is much better, look be- 

 fore any have started. Even if nothing unusual is seen 

 about the entrance, raise the cover to the boxes. If 

 the bees in them are all quiet as usual, no swarm 

 need be immediately apprehended, and you will 

 probably have time to hive one or two first. 



PREVENTING A SWARM ISSUING FOR A TIMB. 



But should you discover the bees running to and 

 fro in great commotion, although there may be but 

 few about the entrance, you should lose no time in 

 sprinkling those outside with water from a watering- 

 pot, or other means. They will -immediately enter 

 the hive to avoid the supposed shower, In half an 

 hour they will be ready to start again, in which time 

 the others may be secured. I have had, in one apiary, 

 twelve hives all ready in one day, and did actually 

 swarm ; several of which would have sta.rted at once, 

 had they not been kept back with water, allowing 

 only one at a time, thus keeping them separate. 

 They had been kept back by the clouds, which broke 

 away about noon. 



TO PREVENT SWARMS UNITING WITH THOSE ALREADY HIVED. 



When any of the subsequent swarms were disposed 

 to unite with those already hived, a sheet was thrown 

 over to keep them out. I had four so covered at once. 

 An assistant, in such caSes, is very important; one 

 can watch symptoms and keep them back, while the 

 • other hives the swarms. 



