ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 151 



the old hive sideways about the width of itself, and 

 place the new one on the opposite side of the old 

 stand, so that each will occupy about the same rela- 

 tive position to it. If you have observed in which 

 hive the queen was put, close the entrance entirely 

 to prevent those from the other hive finding her, or 

 most of the old workers that had been abroad and 

 had their course established, will return to her, 

 and thus endanger the success of the other col- 

 ony. If too many leave it and return to the one 

 containing the queen, the brood will be chilled and 

 destroyed ; but when they find they are entirely cut 

 off from their queen mother and thrown entirely on 

 their own resources, they set to work to construct 

 queen cells, and in twenty-four hours time they will 

 have their course to and from the new hive as well 

 established as from the old one. When it can be 

 opened, it is well to set up a board a little in front 

 and between the hives, for a few days. Great care 

 must be taken at all times to ventilate well, when a 

 hive is closed up. 



In about ten or twelve days after the division is 

 made, open the hive which contains the young, or 

 or rather embryo queens ; lift out the combs careful- 

 ly, commencing at one side, for there is danger 

 of bruising or destroying the queen cells, which fre- 

 quently project beyond the sides of the comb; take 

 a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut out a small piece of 

 comb, say an inch square, from which the queen 

 cell was suspended, replace the comb again in the 

 hive, and proceed immediately to divide another 



