ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 185 



certained that nearly all the bees which have entered the 

 decoy hive, if now presented with their own, will adhere to 

 it, even when its location is changed 1 It is a well known fact 

 that if a hive is removed when many workers are abroad, 

 the returning bees will often alight upon a neighboring hive, 

 and if well received, will not again return to their former 

 stand. The temporary loss of their old home is followed by a 

 distraction which appears to make such a permanent im- 

 pression upon them, that they are just as careful as a 

 natural swarm to mark their new location. By availing myself 

 of this discovery, I am able to simplify very much the whole 

 method of artificial swarming. 



In forcing a swarm, I have recommended that the opera- 

 tion should be performed at an hour when a large number of 

 the workers are abroad, in order to secure them to carry on 

 the labors of the parent slock, when it is removed to a new 

 place. Many bee-keepers, however, may find it most con- 

 venient to make their swarms early in the morning, before 

 the bees are actively at work. In this case either the new 

 swarm, or the old stock may be carried to the distance of 

 a mile from their previous stand, care being taken to leave 

 bees enough in the parent hive to develop the brood. If about 

 one-quarter of the bees are left in it, the supply will be 

 ample ; larger than is usually left by the bees when they 

 swarm naturally. If the bee-keeper intends to remove 

 either the old or new colony, and the number of bees in the 

 former is too small, he may easily reinforce it by placing 

 the old hive on its former stand, shaking out the bees on a 

 sheet from the box into which they have been drummed, 

 and propping up the box to let them enter it again. Many 

 of them will take wing and return to their old home. If 

 enough do not take wing, when most of the bees have 

 entered the box, the sheet with some adhering to it, may be 

 16* 



