174 -A Modern Bee- Farm 



crammed with brood to the almost total exclusion of honey if the 

 frames be spaced only \ inch apart when sections are put on, 

 the latter receiving the entire crop. With no honey and no 

 drones below, the bees are less inclined to swarm. 



The above advantages are claimed for inversion of the stock 

 combs, but that craze has already seen its day, and soon little 

 more will be heard of it, as the same results can be secured 

 without inverting at all. 



A very practical aid in controlling swarms is Mr. H. Alley's 

 swarm trap, or what is incorrectly called a " non-swarming 

 attachment." It does not prevent the issue of a swarm, but 

 when one does come out 

 the queen cannot, or 

 generally does not, pass 

 the perforated zinc ; and 

 finding her passage im- 

 peded she rises through a 

 funnel tapering to a small 

 opening at the point; 



which once passed is not again found, as the light attracts her to 

 the perforations at the top and front. The instrument is placed 

 close up to the entrance, but does not impede the passage of the 

 worker bees, though all drones are secured. The swarm comes 

 home again, while in the interval the apiarist, if on hand, has 

 secured the queen, to be returned after giving more room and 

 removing queen cells ; or she may be otherwise utilized with her 

 swarm, leaving one queen cell for the old stock. 



frS.-s^^^^ 



Robbing was almost omitted as a point of little importance, 

 as it is quite a rare occurrence in my own apiaries ; but I am 

 aware that many novices are troubled somewhat in this direction; 

 but this difificulty is nearly always brought about by carelessness. A 



