138 SWARMING AND HIVING. 



Queens left the parent stock in Summer, and were able, like 

 the mother-wasps, to lay the foundations of a new colony, 

 they could not maintain the warmth requisite for the devel- 

 opment of their young, even if they were able, without any 

 baskets on their thighs, to gather bee-bread for their support. 

 If all these difficulties were surmounted, they would still be 

 unable to amass any treasures for our use, or even to lay up 

 the stores requisite for their own preservation. 



How admirably are all these difficulties obviated by the 

 present arrangement ! Their domicile is well supplied with 

 all the materials for the rearing of brood, and long before 

 any of the insects which depend upon the heat of the sun, 

 are able to commence breeding, the bees have added thou- 

 sands in the full vigor of youth to their already numerous 

 population. They are thus able to send off in season, colo- 

 nies sufficiently powerful to take advantage of the honey- 

 harvest, and provision the mew hive against the approach of 

 Winter. From these considerations, it is very evident that 

 swarming, so far from being, as some Apiarians have con- 

 sidered it, a forced or unnatural event, is one, which in a 

 state of nature, could not possibly be dispensed with. 



Let us now inquire under what circumstances it ordinarily 

 takes place. 



The time when swarms may be expected, depends of 

 course, upon climate, season, and the strength of the stocks. 

 In the Northern and Middle States, they seldom swarm 

 before the latter part of May ; and June may be considered 

 as the great swarming month. The importance of having 

 powerful swarms early in the season, will be discussed in 

 another place. 



In the Spring, as soon as a hive well filled* with comb 



* As a general rule, bees, in our Northern and Middle States, 

 seldom swarm unless the hive is filled with comb ; in Southern lati- 



