154 SWARMING AND HIVING. 



that she is treated with any special attention by the bees ; 

 although if deprived of her before this time, they show, by 

 their despair, that they thoroughly comprehended her vast 

 importance to their welfare. 



A first swarm will sometimes swarm again, about a month 

 after it is hived ; but this, in Northern climates, is a rare 

 occurrence. In Texas, I have known even second swarms 

 to do the same ; and many colonies swarm there in Septem- 

 ber and October. In the Northern and Middle States, 

 swarming is usually all over, in three or four weeks after it 

 commences. Inexperienced bee-keepers, ignorant of this 

 fact, often watch their Apiaries, long after the swarming 

 season has passed. 



I shall now give such practical directions for the easy 

 hiving of swarms, as will, I trust, greatly facilitate the whole 

 operation, not merely to the novice, but even to many expe- 

 rienced bee-keepers ; and I shall try to mako these direc- 

 tions sufficiently minute, to guide those who having never 

 seen a swarm hived, are very apt to imagine that the process 

 must be a formidable one, instead of being, as it usually is 

 to those who are fond of bees, a most delightful entertain- 

 ment. Experience in this, as in other things, will speedily 

 give the requisite skill and confidence ; and the cry of " the 

 bees are swarming," will soon be hailed with greater plea- 

 sure than an invitation to the most sumptuous banquet. 



The hives for the new swarms should be in readiness 

 before the swarming season bfegins, and painted long enough 

 beforehand, to have the paint most thoroughly dried. The 

 smell of fresh paint is well known to be exceedingly injuri- 

 ous to human beings, and is such an abomination to the bees, 

 that they will often desert a new hive sooner than put up 

 with it. If the hives cannot be painted in ample season, 

 then such paints should be preferred as contain no white 



