VARIOUS METHODS. 251 



This method of artificial increase, which resembles natural 

 swarming, in not taking away the combs of the mother-colony, 

 is not only superior to it, in leaving a fertile queen, but ob- 

 viates almost entirely all risk of after-swarming; for the 

 forced swarm, containing the old queen, seldom attempts to 

 send forth a new colony, and the parent hive, in which the 

 young queen is placed, is too destitute of field-workers to 

 swarm soon. The young queen herself is equally content— 

 except in very warm climates, or in extraordinary seasons-- 

 to stay where she is put. Even if the old queen is allowed 

 to remain in the mother-colony, she will seldom leave, if suffi- 

 cient room is given for storing surplus honey; and it makes 

 no difference— as far as liability of swarming is concerned- 

 where the young one is put. 



478. Artificial increase may be also made, by simply 

 giving several frames of hatching bees to a nucleus (520) 

 containing a fertile queen, and placing the colony thus built 

 up on the stand of a strong hive, removing the latter to a 

 new location. 



If, from some cause, the parent-colony could not be moved, 

 the forced swarm might be made to adhere to a new location 

 as follows: Secure their queen, when the bees are shaken 

 out of the hive ; and when they show that they miss her, con- 

 fine them to their hive, until their agitation has reached its 

 height. Then open the hive, and as the bees begin to take 

 wing, present their queen to them. When they have clustered 

 around her, they may he treated like a natural swarm. To 

 do this vdth every forced swarm would take too much time; 

 but it would answer well when the forced swarm is to be 

 moved a short distance. 



479. If no queens have been raised previously (514), 

 by taking a few forced swarms, from select colonies (513), 

 nine days before the time in which the most are to be made, 

 there will be an abundance of sealed queens, almost mature, 

 so that every parent-colony may have one. If the forced 

 swarms were made a short time before natural swarming 



