PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 41 



the bees are entering, she should be taken away, as the other 

 queen may already have become fertile. 



If a colony is found to be queenless in early spring, add its 

 bees to some weak stock having a fertile queen. To do this, 

 sprinkle the bees with diluted honey or water sweetened with 

 sugar, which, at this season, will usually procure them a kind re- 

 ception. 



PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



We have given an easy and certain method to prevent after- 

 swarming, but to prevent the issue of first swarms is sometimes 

 more difficult. Some, who prefer an increased amount of surplus 

 honey to an increase of stocks, effect the object by clipping one 

 of the queen's wings, when she cannot leave with the swarm, 

 and will shortly return to the hive. The queen, however, in 

 attempting to accompany the swarm will usually fall to the 

 ground directly in front of the stand, therefore a broad board 

 should slant from the alighting board to the ground to enable her 

 to crawl back into the hive. "When the issue of the swarm is 

 observed the queen should be found and returned, for should she 

 fail to get back the swarm would probably reissue upon the 

 hatching of a young queen. Great care must be taken not to 

 clip the wings of the young queens before they have become fer- 

 tile, else they will remain barren and worthless. Another way 

 is to examine the combs every ten days while the swarming fever 

 lasts and remove all the queen cells. If while doing this, more 

 room be given in the body of the hive by removing a frame of 

 honey, two examinations will usually suffice. 



