HOISTEYBEES AND HONEY PRODUCTION. 
11 
later by the method of artificial swarming, which is, simply, 
division by the apiarist, after the removal of the honey sur- 
plus, of one strong colony into two or more, which are then 
f allowed or assisted to build up in number and store supplies, 
so that by winter they may be strong colonies. , 
The results of an inquiry concerning the per cent of the 
total swarming, natural or artificial, occurring each month 
is shown in Table II. 
In Florida, Arizona, California, and Texas, and occasion- 
ally in other States along the southern edge of the country, 
a few swarms will sometimes issue in February. It may be 
seen that swarming begins quite generally along the Gulf 
coast and in Arizona and Texas in March, becomes heavy in 
these States in April, continues there with lessened intensity 
during May, in which month it begins strongly throughout 
the central tiers of States and shghtly in the northern tiers. 
In June it largely terminates in aU the southern group, but 
reaches its maximum in the Central and Northern States. 
During July swarming continues heavy in the far Northern 
States and in the elevated portions of the Southerly and 
Western States, while in August swarming is hmited, except 
in a few locaHties. Swarming occurs in September in certain 
sections where there is a heavy flow of nectar that month, 
such as the swamp sections of northern Indiana, although 
for the country as a whole and for aU States swarming is 
practically over by the beginning of that month. 
WINTERING BEES. 
The provision made in the way of fooa suppHes and extra 
protection for wintering, bears directly upon the rate of loss. 
Inquiry was made concerning winter food requirements of 
bees and the winter protection given, and the results are 
shown in Table III. Since the heaviest, and quite possibly 
the majority, of losses are due to starvation, inquiry has 
been made regularly in November concerning the supply of 
honey in the hive for winter, and the results are shown in 
this table. These last figures can not, unfortunately, be 
taken to reflect the average for all colonies, but more nearly 
that for colonies in the possession of progressive and pro- 
fessional beekeepers. These figures show that while con- 
