ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 197 



difficult to manage them, but so far are they from doing this, 

 that ihey adhere to them with most wonderful tenacity. 

 All the combs may be removed and arranged in a continued 

 line, and the bees will not only refuse to leave them, but 

 will stoutly defend them against the thieving propensities of 

 other bees. By shaking the bees from the combs upon a 

 sheet, and securing the queen, I can, on any pleasant day, 

 exhibit nearly all the appearances of natural swarming. 

 The bees, as soon as they miss their queen, will rise into the 

 air, and by placing her on the twig of a tree, they will soon 

 cluster around her in the manner already described. 



A word as to the manner of catching the queen. I seize 

 her very gently, as I espy her among the bees, and by taking 

 care to crush none of them, run not the least risk of being 

 stung. The queen herself never stings, even if handled 

 ever so roughly. When closely confined in the hand, she 

 will often bite the operator, so as to cause some slight un- 

 easiness. If she is to be kept for some considerable time 

 from her colony, I usually place her in a small piece of 

 paper, folded like a funnel, the ends being twisted together. 

 She can be easily taken from this whenever she is needed. 

 It is perfectly amazing to see how soon a queen will fail, and 

 die for want of food when taken from the bees. If absent . 

 from them not more than fifteen minutes, she will solicit 

 honey when returned. If she is to be kept away an hour 

 or more, she must be fed, or a few bees put with her to 

 supply her wants. 



In removing the frames from the hive, rt will be found 

 very convenient to have an empty hive into which they may 

 be temporarily put, and covered over with a piece of cotton 

 cloth. They may thus be very easily protected from the 

 cold, and from robbing bees, if they are to be kept out of 

 the hive for some time ; and such a hive will be very con- 

 17* 



