ARTIFICIAL SWARMING 223 



the nucleus. In my numerous experiments in the Summer, of 

 1842, in the formation of artificial swarms, I tried this plan, 

 and found that it answered a good purpose ; the chief objec- 

 tion to it, is the difficulty often of selecting the suitable kind 

 of comb, if the operation is delayed until late in the afternoon. 

 I prefer, therefore, to perform it, when the sun is an hour or 

 two high, and to confine the bees until dark. If there are 

 not a sufficient number of bees on the comb, I shake off 

 some from another frame, directly into the hive, and shut 

 them all up, giving them a supply of water. Sealed queens 

 if possible, should be used in all these operations. 



I shall now describe a novel mode of creating nuclei, 

 which I have devised, and which I find to be attended with 

 great success : Hive a new swarm in the usual manner, in 

 an old box, and as soon as the bees have entered it, shut 

 them up and carry them down into the cellar, unless they 

 can be put in a cool place, and supplied with a liberal allow- 

 ance of air. About an hour before sunset, take combs 

 suitable to form as many nuclei as you judge best, say five 

 or six, or even eight or ten, if the swarm was large, and you 

 need as many. Take the new swarm, and shake it cut 

 upon a sheet, sprinkling it gently with sugar-water. With 

 a large spoon or tumbler, scoop up, without hurting any of 

 the bees, a pint or more of them, and place them before the 

 mouth of one of the hives containing a brood cornb ; repeat 

 the process, until each nucleus has about a quart of bees. 

 If you see the queen, you may give the hive in which you 

 put her, three or four times as many bees as any other; and 

 the next day it may be strengthened with a few combs, 

 containing brood, just ready to mature. If you do not see 

 her, at the time of forming the nuclei, the one in which you 

 afterwards find her, may be properly reinforced with bees 

 and comb, so as to enable it to work to the best advantage. 



