CHAPTER II. 
NATURAL SWARMING. 
The swarming season is one of unusual interest to the bee- 
keeper. He hopes soon to commence bis annual harvest both of 
swarms and surplus honey. The issue of natural swarms is al- 
most wholly dependent upon continued warm growing weather. 
J une is the great swarming month in the northern States. Yet, 
when the spring is unusually favorable, wo get an occasional 
swarm as early as the middle of May, and many about the last 
of that month. Again, swarming may not commence until July. 
Bees will often rear drones, construct queen cells, and be just on 
die point of swarming, when a few days of bad weather will 
cause the drones and embryo queens to be destroyed, and swarm- 
ing to be postponed indefinitely. As much time must be spent 
in preparation when this occurs, it will require several weeks be- 
fore swarms can issue, though the weather be never so favorable. 
Bees, like some human beings, seem most discontented when 
most prosperous. If the season is favorable, the May flowers 
will scarcely have appeared till the swarming fever begins in- 
stinctively to steal over the colony, affecting equally, perhaps, 
both queen and workers. The first step of preparation taken is 
the rearing of drones, by an early deposit of eggs in the drone 
cells by the queen. As these mature and the “ lusty fellows ” 
