CHAPTER XVIII. 



NATURAL SWARMING. 



General Facts connected with Swarming — Reconnoitring — Settling — 

 Hiving — Curious Incidents — Transferring Swarms to Bar-frame 

 Hives — Division of Swarms — Placing Swarm in Permanent Posi- 

 tion — Number of Bees in Swarming — "Casts" and Later Swarms 

 — Prevention of Swarming — Feeding of Swarms. 



The facts detailed up to this point will enable the 

 subject of swarming — both natural and artificial — to 

 be understood very clearly, and we will now speak of 

 this most important matter in its various bearings. 



Firstly, it must be mentioned that swarming is the 

 result of so great an increase in the population of a 

 hive that work cannot efficiently be carried on, in 

 consequence of the crowd of bees. In ordinarily 

 good seasons the queen has produced so large a 

 progeny by the second or third week in May, that a 

 colony will be ready to start. The workers, being 

 previously impelled by the growing numbers of the 

 hive, will have prepared some royal cells. As the 

 time for the emerging of the princesses approaches, 

 the old queen, in her rage at the thought of coming 

 rivals, attempts to destroy her future compeers. 

 In this, however, she is thwarted by her otherwise 

 obsequious attendants. In her wrath, she utters a 



