248 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 
from worker-brood or from queen-cells given them, must be 
well supplied with honey, must have enough young bees to 
keep the brood warm and to take care of it, and no comb- 
building to do (228). 
One artificial swarm made at the opening of the honey 
harvest, when the hive is full of brood, is better than two 
swarms made at its close. 
When new colonies are made by purchasing queens 
(601) with bees by the pound (599), shipped from a dis- 
tance (687), they should be hived on as many combs of 
brood, taken from other hives, as they can well cover. If 
full frames of foundation (674) are added, from time to 
time, strong colonies may be built out of them, quite 
readily. 
If the colonies are gathering much honey, when artificial 
swarms are made, but little smoke (382) will be needed 
in the operations. The frequent use of smoke makes the 
queen leave the combs, for greater security. This often 
causes great delay in the formation of artificial swarms by 
removing the frames, and in operations where it is desira- 
ble to catch the queen, or to examine her upon the comb. 
484. Artificial operations of all kinds are most successful 
when bee-forage is abundant; when it is scarce, they are 
quite precarious, even if the colonies are well supplied with 
food. 
When bees are not busy in honey-gathering, they have 
leisure to ascertain the conditiun of weak colonies, which 
are almost certain to be robbed, if they are incautiously 
opened. When forage is scarce, the Apiarist who does not 
guard against robbing (664) will seriously impair the value 
of his colonies, and entail upon himself much useless and 
vexatious labor. Beware of demoralizing bees, by tempting 
them to rob one another. 
485. During a good honey flow, bees from different hives 
may be mized without quarrelling, owing to their more peacea- 
