SWARMING. 47 



the front of the body-box up about an inch from the floor-board, 

 propping it in that position by means of two stones or pieces of 

 wood. Now rest one edge of the square board upon the alighting- 

 board, and bring the opposite edge about level with it ; this then 

 will form a table in front, and extending to the entrance of the hive. 

 Get your subjugating cloths near at hand, as occasionally these are 

 wanted, and a stiff feather from a goose wing. Everything being 

 now ready, gently lift the sleep and with a very slight rolling sort 

 of jerk precipitate a handful or so of the bees upon the table ; push 

 these near to the entrance with the feather, and they will com- 

 mence to run in. When you see this jerk some more of the bees 

 among them, and when these are all busily engaged running in 

 precipitate the whole by jerking the skep violently between the 

 hands ; those running in will give the signal to the remainder that 

 a suitable home has been found. The latter, nothing loth, rush in 

 as fast as possible like a flock of sheep, each giving the signal to 

 the others until quite a loud, contented sort of hum is set up by 

 all. Sometimes a few will endeavour to run over the edge of the 

 board and congregate underneath : any attempt of this kind must 

 be at once stopped by putting a subjugating cloth in their way, 

 when they will instantly run from it. When running bees into 

 any receptacle, it is as well to bear in mind that they always make 

 for the darkest part, that is the reason why they run into the hive, 

 it beingquite darkwithin. Sometimes even the shadowof the apiarist 

 falling upon the board will cause them to run in its direction. This is the 

 easiest and cleanest method of populating a frame hive, and 

 proves the advantage of having body-boxes separate from the 

 floor-board and stand. If the floor-board is a fixture, or is 

 simply removable from body-box and stand, the two latter 

 being fixtures, a different course must be pursued, as the bees 

 cannot be run in at an ordinary entrance. The hive must be 

 uncovered, the frames spaced wide apart, and the bees thrown 

 down upon the tops of the frames, then driven down between 

 with the fumigator. Often, in doing this, they "boil over" the 

 sides of the hive, when, in such cases, many are lost, and some- 

 times the queen ; if she is lost from a swarm, they will gradually 

 dwindle away and perish. When driven down, place the quilts 

 on, to prevent their ascending into the roof. After some time, 

 the frames must be brought close together, and the quilts 

 re-arranged, the dummy-board being pushed close up against the 

 last frame. All this occasions a vast amount of trouble as com- 

 pared to the former method. Where a bar-frame hive is of 

 sufficient capacity to hold, say, sixteen frames, the bees can be 

 put in very easily, by drawing the dummy-board close to 

 the back, and placing the six frames in front, with the quilts 

 on them ; then throw the bees in between the last frame and 

 the dummy-board, and prevent them ascending the sides with 

 the subjugating cloths ; they will, in a very short time, run 



