PRIMARY SWAEM. 221 



bee-keepers clip one of the wings of their queens previous 

 to the swarming season.* 



As an old queen leaves the hive only with a new swarm, 

 the loss of her wings in no way interferes with her usefulness, 

 or the attachment of the bees. If, in spite of her inability 

 to fly, she is bent on emigrating, though she has a "will," 

 she can find "no way," but helplessly falls to the ground, 

 instead of gaily mounting into the air. If the bees find 

 her, they cluster around her, and may be easily secured by 

 the Apiarist ; if she is not found, they return to the parent- 

 stock, to await the maturity of the young queens. 



This method will do, provided the Apiary ground is bare, 

 so that the queen runs no risk of getting lost in the grass. 

 We abandoned it, after having tried it, for several years, 

 but we know of some owners of large Apiaries who are suc- 

 cessful with it. We notice that Mr. Heddon, in his inter- 

 esting work, "Success in Bee-Culture," is of our opinion 

 on this subject. 



435. Where a great many colonies are kept, several 

 swarms may issue at the same time, and unite in a single 

 cluster. 



If two swarms cluster together, they may be advanta- 

 geously kept together, if abundant room for storing surplus 

 honey can be given them. Large quantities of honey are 

 generally obtained from such colonies, if they issue early, 

 and the season is favorable. 



" WTien more than two swarms have clustered together, it is 

 better to divide them. Let us suppose that three have united. 

 After putting three hives near each other, so as to form a trian- 

 gle, the sack (429) or hex, in which the bees have been captured, 



• Virgil speats of clipping the wings of queens, to prevent them from escap- 

 ing with a BWarm. Mr. Langstroth had devised a way of doing this, so as to 

 designate iAc ar/f? o/* Me 7(iee'j>; — ^With a pair of scissors, let the wings, on one 

 side, of a yoting queen be carefully cut off; when the hives are examined next 

 year, let one of her two remaining wings be removed, and the last one the 

 third year. 



