Increase, Its Management and Control 



There are two classes of bee-keepers who desire to prevent increase 

 in the number of their colonies. The first, and b_v far the larger class, 

 own large home apiaries, and prefer surplus to increase. This class 

 can allow scanning, if, by some simple manipulation, the number of 

 colonies can be kept the same, and the bees induced to devote their 

 energies to the storing of honey. The second class are the owners of 

 out-apiaries ; and while they may not be so particular about preventing 

 increase, they do wish to prevent swarming. This accomplished, the 

 I )ut-apiaries can be left alone, except at stated intervals. 



In reply to the question, "Why do bees swarm?" it has been replied 

 that "It is natural." 'Tt is their method of increase." This may be 

 true, in part, but it is not a satisfactor}' answer. I have never known 

 a season to pass in which all of the colonies in my apiary swarmed or 

 else didn't swarm. One year I had seventy-five colonies. They were 

 worked for comb honey. Forty of them swarmed; thirty-five of them 

 didn't. It would have been just as "natural," just as much "accortling* 

 to nature," for one colony to s\\arm as for another. In Gleanings f' 



or 



1889 there was quite a lengthy discussion in regard to the causes that 

 lead to swarming. The chit of the iliscussion seemed to be that an 

 undue proportion of young or nurse-bees to the brood to be nurst'd 

 was the prime cause of swarming. If the brood-nest is well filled with 

 brood, then for lack of room the bees begin storing honev in the cells 

 from which the bees are hatching; the result is that soon there is but 

 little brood to care for, compared with the number of nurses or >ciung" 

 bees. This theory is strengthened by the fact that, when bees are given 

 an abundance of empty comb in which to store their honey, swarming 

 very seldom occurs. In short, extracting the honey, or, to be more 

 exact, giving plenty of empty combs, is the most successful, practical 

 method of controlling increase. In large apiaries, especialh" out-apiaries 

 that can be visited onl)- at intervals, it is well nigh impossible to keep 

 every colony always supplied with empty combs, hence there will be 

 occasional swarms. If there is to be some one present to hive what 

 few swarms do issue, and prevention of increase is desired simpl)- that 

 the amount of surplus may be greater, and the surplus is preferred in 



