102 • MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



large part of the worker-bees — ^being off duty for the day, and 

 having previously loaded their honey-sacks — rush forth from 

 the hive as if alarmed by the cry of fire, the queen among 

 the number, though she is by no means among the first, and 

 frequently is quite late in her exit. The bees, thus started on 

 their quest for a new home, after many uproarious gyrations 

 about the old one, dart forth to alight upon some bush, limb, 

 or fence, though in one case I have known the first swarm of 

 bees to leave at once, for parts unknown, without even waiting 

 to cluster. After thus meditating for the space of from one 

 to three hours, upon a future course, they again take wing and 

 leave for their new home, which they have probably already 

 sought out. 



Some suppose the bees look up a home before leaving the 

 hive, while others claim that scouts are in search of one 

 while the bees are clustered. The fact that bees take a right- 

 line to their new home, and fly too rapidly to look as they go, 

 would argue that a home is preempted, at least, before the 

 cluster is dissolved. The fact that the cluster remains some- 

 times for hours — ;even over night — and at other times for a 

 brief period, would lead us to infer that the bees cluster, in 

 waiting for a new home to be found. Yet, why do bees some- 

 times alight after flying a long distance, as did a first swarm 

 the past season, upon our College grounds ? Was their 

 journey long, so that they must needs stop to rest, or were 

 they flying at random, not knowing whither they were going ? 



If for any reason the queen should fail to join the bees, 

 and perhaps rarely, when she is among them, they will, after 

 having clustered, return to their old home. The youngest 

 bees will remain in the old hive, to which those bees, if there 

 are any such, which are abroad in quest of stores will return. 

 The presence of young bees on the ground — those with flight 

 too feeble to join the rovers — will always mark the previous 

 home of the emigrants. Soon, in seven or eight days, perhaps 

 rarely a little later, the first queen will come forth from her 

 cell, and in two or three days she will or may lead a new 

 colony forth, but before she does this, the peculiar note, known 

 as the piping of the queen, may be heard. This piping 

 sounds like peep, peep, is shrill and clear, and can be 

 plainly heard by placing the ear to the hive, nor would it be 



