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NATURAL SWARMS 5 
varying length of time they will again take wing. 
If this happens the swarm will probably be lost, as 
the bees may travel many miles and at a high 
rate of speed. 
The operation of hiving is really very simple, 
and consists of merely, placing an empty skep or 
box beneath the bees and dislodging them into it 
by a vigorous shake. Then gently place the re- 
ceptacle on the ground, crown upwards, and raise 
it an inch or so by placing a small stone under 
the bottom edge. Soon the flying bees will have 
entered, when a cloth may be drawn over the 
mouth of the skep and the whole at once removed 
to the position to be permanently occupied. 
It may be said that apart. from the presence 
of queen-cells in the hive there are no certain 
signs that a colony, is about to swarm. The bees 
are often listless and apathetic just previous to 
swarming, but this is not always the case, nor 
is it an invariable indication of their intentions. 
It may. be that the swarm will have clustered 
in a rather difficult position, as in the bottom of 
a, hedge, or on the limbs or trunk of some tall 
tree. In such cases the ingenuity of the bee- 
keeper will be called into play to effect the cap- 
ture. If the bees cannot be shaken into the skep 
they. must be driven into it by means of a feather 
dipped in a solution of carbolic acid and water, 
or by, the aid of a smoker. In nearly every case 
it will be necessary to adopt one of the two 
methods given, and when carbolic acid is used 
