Tlic Hiving of Bees ()g 



the looking for her when the swarm is out, together with the possibility 

 of her being lost. The objections to the trap are its cost, a slight 

 hindrance to the bees passing out and in, and its interference, somewhat, 

 with the ventilation of the hive. A trap placed over the entrance of a 

 hive containing a newl}' hived swarm \\ill prevent loss if the swarm 

 attempts to abscond. 



If only one swarm would issue at a time, there would be no difificultv 

 at all in managing swarms with clipped queens. \\'hen two or more 

 swarms come out at the same time, and no water is thrown between 

 them, they are almost certain to unite. After circling about for awhile 

 the bees return. If each bee would return to its old location, all would 

 be well ; but when the bees of one swarm begin to go back, a large 

 share of the bees in the air follow them. A few bees from each swarm, 

 even if several swarms have united, will return to their respective homes, 

 but the majorit}- will "follow my leader." It is impossible to give anv 

 set rules to be followed in such emergencies. If only two swarms have 

 united, the bees ma}' be allowed to enter the new hive until it is esti- 

 mated that one-half the bees are in the hive, when it may be set out 

 upon a new stand, and given one of the queens, then another hive set 

 upon the old stand, and the rest of the bees be allowed to enter. It 

 should not be forgotten that, as a rule, other things being equal, a bee 

 is worth as much in one hive as in another. Some bee-keepers, when 

 several swarms come to one place, take supers from other hives, where 

 the bees are working none the best, and place them upon the hive where 

 the bees are entering. As soon as the supers are full of bees they are 

 returned to the hives whence they were taken. A colony made unusually 

 strong by uniting swarms will store more honey, but will be no stronger 

 at the end of the season. 



Another plan of managing where several swarms come out at the 

 same time is not to allow the bees to return to their old locations, but 

 put the caged queens in baskets, each queen in a separate basket, and 

 hang the baskets on the branches of a tree where the bees show a dis- 

 position to congregate. The bees soon find and cluster about the queens 



