FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 161 



MANAGEMENT OF SWARMING COLONIES. 



Prom my first using movable frames, I think I have kept 

 my queens' wings clipped, so my experience in having natural 

 swarms with flying queens has been very limited. But my 

 experience in having swarms issue where and when I did not 

 want them, has been very large. Only extreme modesty and 

 humility prevent rny being very proud of so large an experi- 

 ence. If I should ever reach that point where I shall be equally 

 successful in preventing swarms, I make no promise to be 

 either modest or humble. 



So long as success in prevention of swarms has not been 

 reached, it remains an important matter to know the best thing 

 to do when swarms do issue. Under ordinary circumstances 

 some one must be on hand to watch for swarms. For several 

 years I have had no watching for swarms and have had no 

 swarms except those which swarmed in spite of my efforts to 

 prevent them. Yet if I had only the one apiary, it is just pos- 

 sible that I might allow swarming, at least so far as to allow 

 the bees to swarm and then return to their old hives. At any 

 rate there are a great many so situated as to allow their bees to 

 go thus far in swarming, and I feel pretty sure that for them 

 there may be some interest in knowing what I did when swarms 

 did issue, so I.-will give an account of my management when I 

 formerly allowed -the bees to swarm. 



WATCHING FOR SWARMS. 



With as many as 100 colonies in an apiary, the one who 

 is on watch can hardly be allowed to do anything else. The 

 regular noise is so great among so many that the added noise 

 of a swarm is hardly noticed; so sight, not hearing, must be 

 depended on. I have gone on with my regular work and taken 

 a look once in five or ten minutes along the rows to see if any 

 swarms were out, but it is not a very satisfactory way of doing. 

 A bright boy or girl can watch very well, if faithful. It is 

 not necessary, of course, to watch all day ; and the weather has 

 much to do with the hours at which swarms may be expected. 

 On a hot morning a swarm may issue as early as six o'clock; 

 but this is exceptional, and if the weather has been cloudy 



