The Cycle of the Year 77 



queens are less likely to swarm than those with older queens. 

 For example, if a young queen is introduced to a colony in 

 August the probability of a swarm from that colony the 

 following spring is less than if the queen were reared early 

 the preceding spring. 



Within the white clover region, some interesting differences 

 may be noted. Geo. S. Demuth of the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology reports the following interesting variations. In south- 

 ern Indiana swarming has usually ceased before the beginning 

 of the white clover honey-flow, while in the northern part 

 of the State the swarming season extends into the honey- 

 flow. This indicates that the stimulus of the heavy honey- 

 flow is not the cause of swarming. In one season which 

 came under Demuth's observation, white clover failed 

 to secrete enough nectar to provide surplus honey in north- 

 em Indiana and colonies were unable to build up suSiciently 

 to swarm. In August, however, there was a heavy yield 

 from heartsease, the colonies built up rapidly and there 

 was a well marked period of swarming. Demuth at one 

 time practiced moving his bees in the fall to the Kankakee 

 swamps for the Spanish needle honey-flow. While swarm- 

 ing was common in the spring during the white clover honey- 

 flow, it was not so during the fall honey-flow. The same 

 thing is observed when clover is followed by buckwheat. 

 While, therefore, honey-flows influence swarming by provid- 

 ing stores whereby colonies may build up to swarming 

 strength, they can scarcely be considered as primary causes 

 of swarming. 



The lack of adequate space for breeding is a common 

 condition in colonies from which swarms issue and the con- 

 traction of the brood chamber in comb-honey production 

 probably contributes to excessive swarming. However, 

 if the contraction is excessive swarming is greatly reduced 

 and if this is carried to the extreme we have artificial swarm- 

 ing, in which operation aU the brood combs are removed. 



There is a marked difference in the amount of swarming 

 according to the type of honey produced. In the produc- 



