22 
from inside work an equal number of older bees, enabling the latter 
to go out as field bees. 
Each after-swarm (second, third, etc.), it should be borne in mind, 
is accompanied by one or more unimpregnated queens, and these must 
not be clipped until they have flown out and mated. The regular 
deposition of eggs in worker cells may nearly always be regarded as 
a safe sign that mating has taken place. Eggs will usually be found 
in such cells within the first ten days of the queen’s lite. After- 
swarms may remain in the air, circling about for some time, and they 
frequently cluster high—a good reason, in addition to the more 
important fact that their issuance is not consistent with the production 
of the most surplus honey, for the prevention of all after-swarming. 
ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 
Where an increase of colonies is desired, and in case no one can be 
near the apiary to care for natural swarms with clipped queens, some 
one of the artificial methods of forming new colonies may be advan. 
tageously employed. Natural swarming is, however, to be preferred 
to a poor system of artificial increase. And no matter which of the 
artificial methods be adopted, it should be cautiously followed, lest, 
should unfavorable weather appear suddenly, considerable labor and 
expense be incurred to prevent disastrous results. It is also of prime 
importance not to weaken materially the gathering powers of strong 
colonies just at the opening of the harvest or during its progress; 
hence, whatever division takes place then must leave the field force— 
the gatherers—in one mass and in normal condition for work, that is, 
not discouraged by being queenless, and not overburdened by having 
brood without a sufficient number of nurse bees to care for it. 
Dividing.—A plan which fulfills these conditions is the following: 
From a populous colony a comb or two with adhering bees and the queen 
may be taken and placed in a new hive, which, when other frames with 
starters have been added, is then to be put on the stand of the populous 
colony from which the combs were taken. The removed colony is to be 
taken a rod or more from its old stand, so that the flight bees returning 
from the field will enter the newly established colony. The old colony 
may be given a laying queen ora mature queen cell a day or two later. 
This finishes the work in a short time. 
Nucleus system.—A better plan, though not so quickly completed, 
is to take from the populous colony only enough bees and combs 
to make a fair nucleus on a new stand. A queen is easily and 
safely introduced into this nucleus, or a queen cell is readily accepted 
a day or two later. As soon as the young queen has begun egg 
laying, combs of emerging brood may be added from time to time. 
These may be obtained from any populous colonies whose tendency to 
swarm it is desirable to check, the bees adhering to them when they 
59 
