CHAPTER VIII 



EARLY SUMMER WORK 



The outapiarist now approaches the season which is of great- 

 e\-;t importance in determining whether his efforts towards keeping 

 more bees,, and in scattered locations, are to be successful. He 

 must be able to so manipulate that his colonies will, in a large 

 measure, remain intact for the flows which are to follow. Faulty 

 manipulation with consequent swarming, may mean a lessening 

 of the crop to the extent that he will work at a loss, while intense 

 management may result either in not being able to care for all 

 the bees handled or increase operating expenses beyond the re- 

 turns. 



Swarm Control 



Your method of management may call for examination of 

 colonies periodically to cut out queen-cells, and to keep all queens 

 clipped to prevent swarms leaving, but this entails a large amount 

 of extra work at a time when the outapiarist is busiest caring 

 for his numerous yards. 



Even though the above method is practiced, the mere fact 

 that all queens are clipped will not prevent the desire on the part 

 of the bees to swarm, nor will it prevent an effort to swarm, with 

 subsequent loss of time in honey production. 



What we should strive for is to so manipulate the outyards 

 that we may keep the impulse to swarm at the minimum, for 

 with any system of management a protracted flow may result 

 in a small percentage of swarming. We should endeavor to make 

 this percentage negligible. 



59 



