MANUAL OP THE APIARY. 175 



to work. This seams reasonable, too, in view of the attaoh^ 

 ment of bees for their nest of brood, as also from analogy. 

 How eager the ant to convey her larvae and pupae — the so- 

 called eggs — to a place of safety, when the nest has been 

 invaded and danger threatens. Bees doubtless have the same 

 desire to protect their young, and as they cannot carry them 

 away to a new home, they remain to care for them in one that 

 may not be quite to their taste. 



If it is not desired to increase, the bees may be given to a 

 colony which has previously swarmed, after removing from 

 the latter all queen-cells, and adding to the room by giving 

 boxes and removing some frames of brood to strengthen 

 nuclei. This plan is practiced by Dr. Southard. We may even 

 return the bees to their old home by taking the same pre- 

 cautionary measures; with a good hope that storing and not 

 swarming will engage their attention in future ; and if we 

 exchange their position with that of a nucleus, we shall be 

 still more likely to succed in overcoming the desire to swarm ; 

 though some seasons, usually when honey is being gathered 

 each day for long intervals, but not in large quantities, 

 the desire and determination of some colonies to swarm is im- 

 placable. Room, ventilation, changed position of hive, each 

 and all will fail. Then we can do no better than to gratify 

 the propensity, by giving the swarm a new home, and make 

 an effort 



TO PREVENT SECOND SWARMS. 



As already stated, the wise apiarist will always have on 

 hand extra queens. Now, if he does not desire to form nuclei 

 (as already explained), and thus use these queen cells, he will at 

 once cut them atl out, and destroy them, and give the old 

 colony a fertile queen. The method of introduction will be 

 given hereafter, though in such cases there is very little danger 

 incurred by giving them a queen at once. And by thoroughly 

 smoking the bees, and sprinkling with sweetened water, and 

 daubing the new queen with honey, we may be almost sure of 

 success. If desired, the queen-cells can be used in forming 

 nuclei, in manner before described. In this way we save our 

 colony from being without a fertile queen for at least thirteen 

 days, and that, too, in the very height of the honey season, 



