246 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



479. If no queens have been raised previously (614), 

 by making a few forced swarms, from select colonies (513), 

 nine days before the time in which the most are to be made, 

 there will be an abundance of sealed queens, almost mature, 

 so that every parent-stock may have one. If the forced 

 swarms were made a short time before natural swarming 

 would have taken jjlace, some of the parent-colonies will 

 contain a number of maturing queens, which may be re- 

 moved, a few days before hatching, and given to such as 

 have started none. But it is far better to rear the queens 

 first, as they can be bred from choice stock (613). 



480. A nucleus (520) may be built up after its queen 

 has commenced laying, by helping it with a comb of brood 

 and young bees, from a full colony, adding, at proper 

 intervals, a third, and a fourth, until they are strong enough 

 to tafee care of themselves. This mode of increase is labo- 

 rious, and requires skill and judgment; for, the bee-keeper 

 should be very careful never to give a weak colony more 

 brood than its bees can cover, remembering that, should 

 the temperature become colder, the brood might be chilled 

 and perish. 



As a number of nuclei are to be simultaneously strength- 

 ened, the Apiarist cannot complete his artificial processes 

 by a single operation, and must always be on hand, or 

 incur the risk of ending the season with a number of starv- 

 ing colonies. For these and other reasons, we much prefer 

 the other methods, above given, dispensing with so much 

 opening of hives and handUng of combs. If, however, any 

 of the new colonies are weak enough to need it, they must 

 be helped to combs from stronger ones. 



481. Whuteoer method of artificial increase is pursued by 

 the Apiarist, he should never reduce the strength of Ids 

 mother-stocks, so as seriously to cripjile the reproduriice power 

 of their queens. This principle should be to him as "the 

 law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not ;" for, 



