OR, MANUAI< OF THB APIARY. 297 



generally find her not far away within a ball of friendly 

 workers. At nightfall smoke these bees, and by watching we 

 learn the colony which swarmed, as the bees about the queen 

 will repair at once to it. Mr. Doolittle suggests that we may 

 always find what colony swarmed when a swarm is out. If 

 we take a portion of the bees from the cluster into a pail and 

 swing them around lively, then throw them out, they will at 

 once, he says, fly to the old home. When a swarm first issues, 

 young bees, too young to fly, crawling about the hive, will 

 often reveal the colony that swarmed. 



HIVING SWARMS. 



But in clipping wings, some queens may be omitted, or, 

 from taste, or other motive, some bee-keepers may not desire 

 to "deform her royal highness." Then the apiarist must 

 possess the means to save the would-be rovers. The means 

 are : good hives in readiness ; some kind of a brush — a turkey- 

 wing will do ; a basket with open top, which should be at least 

 eighteen inches in diameter, and so made that it may be 

 attached to the end of the pole ; and two poles, one very long 

 and the other of medium length. 



Now, let us attend to the method : As soon as the cluster 

 commences to form, place the hive in position where we wish 

 the colony to remain, leaving the entrance wide open. As 

 soon as the bees are fully clustered, we must manage as best 

 we can to empty the whole cluster in front of the hive. As the 

 bees are full of honey they are not likely to sting, but will 

 sometimes. I have known bees, when clustered in a swarm, to 

 be very cross. This, however, is not usual. Should the bees 

 be on a twig that could be sacrificed, this might be easily cut 

 off with either a knife or saw (Fig. 140), and so carefully as 

 hardly to disturb the bees, then carry (Fig. 76) and shake the ( 

 bees in front of the hive, when with joyful hum they will at I 

 once proceed to enter. If the twig must not be cut, shake 

 them all into the basket, and empty before the hive. Should 

 they be on a tree trunk, or a fence, then brush them with the 

 wing into the basket, and proceed as before. If they are high 

 up on a tree, take the pole and basket, and perhaps a ladder 

 will also be necessary. Many devices like a bag on a hoop, a 



