bee-keeper's manual. 269 



residing in communities making a practice of ringing 

 bells, or thumping on tin pans when a swarm of bees 

 issued, so as to know who the owner was ; since swarms 

 issuing from the premises of one cottager would fre- 

 quently cluster on the grounds of another. 



SWARMING PREVENTED BY EXTRA ROOM. 



( The apiarian may at any time prevent swarming, by 

 affording the bees extra room below them.^ For in- 

 stance, take a hive filled with bees, and nearly ready to 

 throw off a swarm, and place it over another hive of the 

 same diameter, with a passage-way through it, and the 

 bees will soon destroy their young sovereigns in the 

 embryo state, and no swarming will take place. 



It is sometimes advantageous to thus prevent the issue 

 of swarms, when the owner does not wish any further 

 increase in the number of his families, as the larger the 

 body of bees together, the greater is the quantity of 

 surplus honey produced; yet this argument does not 

 apply to increasing the size of hives, except temporally 

 by nadiring or supering. 



Boxes may be constructed of half the usual depth of 

 hives, with both ends open; and in the month of May, 

 before swarming, one of them may be placed under the 

 hive, where swarming is to be prevented. These boxes 

 should be made of the same dimensions of the hive, so 

 as to make a close joint where they come in contact. 

 In the fall, a wire may be drawn through between the 

 connection and sever the combs, and the bees in the 

 lower section will return, and the family will be very 



