VARIOUS METHODS. 249 



The reader will notice that the treatment above recommended 

 for the making of artificial swarms produces exactly the same 

 result as the method mentioned at 468 bis for natural 

 swarms. It secured one swarm from two colonies. 



The Apiarist, by treating a natural swarm as he has been 

 directed to treat a forced one, can secure an increase of one 

 colony from two; and of all the methods of conducting nat- 

 ural swarming, in regions where rapid increase is not profit- 

 able, this is the best, provided the colonies do not stand too 

 close together, and the hives used in the process are somewhat 

 similar in shape and color. 



■^75. Whenever the bee-keeper learns how to handle the 

 movable-frames safely he must dispense with the forcing-box, 

 and make his swarms by lifting out the frames from the pa- 

 rent-stock, and shaking the bees from them, by a quick jerk- 

 ing motion, upon a sheet, directly in front of the new hive. 



If the hive contains much fresh honey, which is usually 

 very thin, the bees must be brushed off, for shaking them off 

 would also shake out a large amount of nectar (^1-9). 



As soon as a comb is deprived of its bees, it should be 

 returned to the parent-stock. If one or two combs contain- 

 ing brood, eggs, and stores, are given to the forced swarm, 

 it will be much encouraged, and will need no feeding (605) 

 if the weather should be unfavorable. In removing the 

 frames, the bee-keeper should look for the queen, and give 

 the comb she is on, to the forced swarm, without shaking off 

 the bees. If he does not see her on the combs, he will seldom 

 after a little practice, fail to notice her, as she is shaken on 

 the sheet, and crawls towards the new hive. The queen is 

 seldom left on a frame after it has been shaken so that most 

 of the bees fall off (439). 



476. The more combs with brood are taken from A, the 

 less chance it will have to send forth a natural swarm with its 

 first hatched queen. 



If it is desirable to make a large number of swarms, and 

 the parent colony is strong in hatching bees, only a few of 



