194 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



carefully, as without a change of weather a swarm 

 will issue ere long. 



OTHER SYMPTOMS IMMEDIATEAY PRECEDING THE 

 ISSUING OF A SWARM. 



If, when the foregoing preparations are made, in 

 the morning of a warm, calm day, you observe one 

 or more strong stocks in the apiary, from which few 

 bees are going forth to the fields in search of honey, 

 whilst other colonies are busily at work, it is a pretty 

 strong symptom of swarming during the day. Ob- 

 servations I have made lead me to think, that the 

 cause of this seeming inactivity is, that they are en- 

 gaged in the interior of the hive taking in provisions, 

 simply packing their trunks for the voyage ; as most 

 authors agree that they fill their sacs with honey 

 before the swarm issues. Here, again, their instinct 

 amounts almost to the point of reasoning, for in case 

 of a delay in finding a suitable home to shelter them, 

 or if a sudden change in the weather should occur 

 soon after it was safely lodged in its new home, so 

 as to prevent them from going forth to gather the 

 needed supplies from the flowers, starvation and the 

 utter destruction of the swarm would be the result ; 

 hence the importance of taking a supply of provi- 

 sions before emigrating. 



Another indication is the generally excited appear- 

 ance of the bees about the entrance of the hive, 

 running to and fro in every direction ; some reeling 

 around in small circles in front and above the hive, 

 apparently anxious for the important event to take 



