HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



21 



SWARMING. 



As the season progresses and the population of the hive increases, 

 preparations for swarming may be made. Queen cells are built, (See 

 Figure 17) and when the young queens are nearly ready to hatch, the 

 swarm emerges, usually on some sunny morning. They pour out like a 

 torrent of living water and rapidly rising into the air, dart and circle 

 about until finally they begin to gather on some limb or other object, 

 and soon they are all clustered in a big irregular mass. If not taken 

 down and hived they will seek some cavity and enter it. Within the 



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Fig. 17. — Queen Cells. 



hive or cavit)' thoy again cluster and most of them remain very 

 quiet. Slowly the wax scales push out from between the rings of 

 the abdomen and are taken and worked into comb, which is soon 

 occupied with eggs, pollen and honey. 



Bees of most all ages go out with the swarm and the queen joins 

 the throng usually when the swarm is about half out. If the queen 

 fails to go with the swarm they will return to the parent hive. 



If only a small part of the bees go out as a swarm, another swarm 

 may follow when the young queens begin to hatch, or it may be 

 delayed until the surviving young queen flies to mate. 



Young queens mate about ten days after leaving the cell, though 

 from adverse weather or scarcity of drones, it may be deferred for 



