178 ARTIFICIAL SWAKMING. 



siinct impels them always, if they can, to keep their stores 

 of honey above the breeding cells. So long as bees have 

 an abundance of room below their main hive, they very sel- 

 dom swarm, but use it in the way that I have described ; if, 

 however, the room is on the sides of their hive, or above 

 them, they frequently prefer to swarm rather than to take 

 possession of it. But in none of these cases, do they ever, 

 if left to themselves, form separate and independent col- 

 onies. 



I am aware that the Apiarian, by separating from the main 

 hive with a slide, an apartment that contains brood, may suc- 

 ceed in rearing an artificial colony ; but unless all his hives 

 admit of the most thorough inspection, as he can never know 

 their exact condition, he must always work in the dark, and 

 will be far more likely to fail than succeed. Success indeed 

 can only be possible when a skillful Apiarian devotes a large 

 portion of his time to watching and managing his bees, so 

 as to compel them to colonize, and even then it will be very 

 uncertain ; so that this plausible theory to be reduced to even 

 a most precarious practice, requires more skill, care, labor 

 and time, than are necessary to manage the ordinary swarm- 

 ing hives. 



The failure of so many attempts to increase colonies by 

 artificial means, as well in the hands of scientific and expe- 

 rienced Apiarians, as under the direction of those who are 

 almosl totally ignorant of the physiology of the bee, has led 

 many to prefer to use non-swarming hives. In such hives, 

 very large harvests of honey are often obtained from a pow- 

 erful stock of bees ; but it is very evident that if the increase 

 of new colonies were entirely discouraged, the insect would 

 soon be exterminated. To prevent this, the advocates of the 

 non-swarming plan, must either have their bees swarm, to 

 some extent, or rely upon those who do. 



