CHAPTER XII 
INCREASING AND UNITING 
IT frequently happens that it is desirable to divide 
colonies, either for increasing the stock or with a 
view to the prevention of swarming. The method 
usually adopted is the one known as artificial 
swarming, and it is capable of many variations. 
Artificial swarming is especially useful in cases 
where it is suspected that colonies may swarm, 
for. then this may be done for them, and any, 
possible loss of the natural swarm or trouble in 
securing it obviated. There are certain rules to 
be observed inthis process of division. They 
are few in number, but they must .be rigidly 
adhered to, or failure will attend the efforts of 
the apiarist. First, only strong colonies must be 
divided; secondly, the swarm must be made in 
the middle of a warm day, when the bees are 
flying freely; thirdly, it must not be done before 
drones are plentiful for the fertilization of the 
young queens. 
To divide one colony into two, take the frame 
on which the queen is found and place it in a 
new hive, filling up the hive with frames of empty, 
comb or sheets of comb foundation. A frame 
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