12 N. H. COLLEGE EXTENSION SERVICE [Bulletin 15 



changing these conditions plans to prevent the development of the instinct, the "swarm- 

 ing fever" as it is called, and to secure the desired increase in other, safer ways. . 



The colony among bees is the unit, and swarming is nature s method, not only ot in- 

 creasing the number of colonies, but also of perpetuating the original colony, ine 

 latter is made possible by the habit of the old queen of leaving with the outgoing swarm 

 and surrendering the all-important work of egg laying in the old home to the young 

 daughter. 



If a colony can be built up strong and these forces can be held working contentedly 

 together during the main honey' flow, as, for instance, when white clover is in bloom, that 

 colony is almost sure to be able to gather considerable surplus. On the other hand, if a 

 colony, strong in numbers, swarms in the beginning of or prior to the honey flow, as it 

 is likely to do without attention, neither the parent hive nor the new swarm may be 

 able to gather much more than they need for maintenance. For this reason, and because 

 many swarms are lost, beekeepers have for years given miich thought to means of eon- 

 trolling and preventing natural swarming. 



The principal factor which appears to induce swarming is the crowding of the hive 

 with bees and brood at a time when stores are being brought in in small to moderate 

 amounts. In case a colony can be brought up to the white clover flow without develop- 

 ing the "swarming fever," they will invariably not develop it while rapid storing is in 

 progress, provided they are given plenty of storage room. 



When the swarming fever is developed, the bees set to work to build queen cells, the 

 queen lays in these, and with their development swarming is sure to follow. The first 

 swarm, with the old queen, leaves soon after the queen cells' are sealed over and, if noth- 

 ing is done to prevent it, a second swarm is hkely to issue in a week to ten days after the 

 first. 



CLIPPING THE QUEEN'S WINGS 



The practice of clipping the wings of the queen wiU help temporarily to prevent the 

 loss of the swarm, since the old queen will not be able to fly and the bees finding that she 

 is not in the cluster, will return to the old stand. This, however, is only a temporary 

 preventive of loss of swarms; for if conditions within the hive are not quickly changed, 

 the bees, after making one or two false starts with the old queen, will finally kiU her and 

 swarm with a virgin queen. The queen may be held in the fingers or against the comb 

 while wings are being clipped. Cuts should not be made too close to the body, and it is 

 usually well to leave wing stubs about an eighth of an inch in length. 



SWARM PREVENTION 



The dependence on natural swarming invariably results in the loss of some swarms, 

 and it requires much daily watchfulness on the part of the beekeeper during the period 

 when swarms may be expected. For these reasons the tendency at times is to use strict 

 repressive measures planned to do away with natural swarming altogether and make 

 increase in other ways. 



Whether colonies are run for extracted honey or for comb honey, a very good plan of 

 management up to the beginning of the early honey flow is the same in either case. This 

 consists in giving the queen plenty of room in the early spring, preferably using for the 

 brood chamber two bodies with eight or ten frames each at all times, except during the 

 main early honey flow. 



SWARM PREVENTION IN WORKING BEES FOR EXTRACTED HONEY 



When colonies are run for extracted honey, swarm prevention is relatively simple. 

 The use of larger hives with more roomy brood-nest and honey storage space as suggested 

 above, automatically does away with most of the impulse to swarm. The few cases 

 that do develop may be readily taken care of by manipulation of the brood. The colony 

 is run in two Langstroth bodies, or the colony which wintered in one story is given an 

 additional body in early spring, some time in May, or as soon as it needs the space. A 

 month later the queen with a frarne or two of brood is placed in the lower body, and the 

 rest of the space in this is filled with empty frames or frames containing little brood and 

 stores. The rest of the brood is placed in a second body set over a wire or zinc queen- 

 excluder above the body containing the queen. As soon as the brood above the excluder 

 hatches, the cells are used for honey storage, since the queen is not able to lay in them. 

 Colonies so treated will rarely swarm and will produce the maximum crop. 



Queen cells are likely to be built above the excluder when the above method is used. 

 They should be removed on the seventh or eighth day. 



