208 NATURAL SWARMING. 



ation. Seeming to have a presentiment that they must 

 perish if they stay, instead of awaiting the sure approach 

 of famine, they sally out to see if thej' cannot better their 

 condition. Such desertions should not be mistaken for 

 natural swarming. 



408. The time, when new swarms may be expected, 

 depends, of course, upon the climate, the forwardness of the 

 season, and the strength of the colonies. In our Northern 

 and Middle States, they seldom issue before the latter part 

 of May ; and June may there be considered as the great 

 swarming month. In Brownsville, Texas, on the lower Rio 

 Grande, bees often swarm quite early in March. 



Swarming does not always take place in Spring, although 

 this is the usual time for it. Swarms are likely to issue in 

 any locality, whenever the hive is crowded for room, or 

 nearly so, during a good and prolonged honey-harvest. In 

 warm latitudes, it lasts for several months, owing to a con- 

 tinuous flow of honey. Wherever there are two distinct 

 honey crops (706), there are also two swarming seasons, 

 especially along the low lands or river bottoms, where 

 Fall pasturage is abundant. Swarms, hived during the fore- 

 part of either of these honey seasons, are always the best ; 

 haying a few weeks of honey crop before them, they have 

 ample time to build comb (198), and fill it with honey and 

 brood ; while swarms which are cast during the latter part 

 )f either the clover or the Fall harvest, coming as thej' do, 

 just before a dearth of honey, are unable to build comb and 

 raise brood, and easily perish, if left to themselves. Thus, 

 a swarm harvested in August, in this latitude, at the open- 

 ing of the Fall crop, stands better chances than one har- 

 vestv^d in July, at the close of the clover and basswood 

 crop. 



