BEE MANUAL. 203 



will suddenly lead the swarm off a loDg distance before she 

 makes up her mind to stop. When a swarm remains in the 

 air longer than usual, and has no appearance of settling, some 

 fine dirt, sand, or a spray of water should be thrown among the 

 bees to disorganise them ; this will generally have the desired 

 effect. It is said that a blank charge fired at or near the head 

 of an absconding swarm will cause it to settle. 



PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



By carefully following out certain rules based upon our 

 knowledge of the nature and habits of bees we can control or 

 regulate swarming to a very great extent, but there is no 

 system at present known which will give us such complete 

 control as would enable us to prevent swarming altogether, when 

 we desire to do so. We may indeed do as some have advo- 

 cated, that is, take away the queens for a time, and so stop 

 breeding, but I would much prefer to put up with the inconve- 

 nience of a few extra swarms rather than adopt such a doubtful 

 method. 



The best aids we can have towards the prevention of swarm- 

 ing are roomy and well-ventilated hives, and if need be shade. 

 At the same time very much will depend on the knowledge 

 and tact of the bee-keeper, that is, his knowing what to do and 

 how to do it, and his doing the proper thing at the right time. 



There are times when everything depends upon the ability 

 of the bee-keeper to adapt himself to circumstances, when his 

 judgment for the time being is all he can trust to, and if this 

 fail him, it may result in the loss of the greater part of the 

 season's crop. Such a time is when the honey season has been 

 retarded by bad weather, and suddenly gives promise of a better 

 state of things towards the last few weeks of it, when just 

 sufficient honey has been gathered to keep up breeding. The 

 colonies are strong, and it only requires two or three days of 

 favourable weather to start them swarming. The bee-keeper 

 is aware that the season, however favourable it may turn out, 

 can only last for a short time ; he knows his colonies are liable 

 to have a bad attack of the " swarming fever," and also that 

 his chance of securing a crop of honey depends entirely upon 

 his being able to keep the majority of his bees steady at work 

 instead of swarming. 



