SWARMING. 
197 
the bees to set upabuzzing, andrushupthesidesof the 
hive, but a little smoke will drive them back ; get them 
out of the way as much as possible, and look on the 
edges of the combs for the queens’ cells, where most 
of them are. If the hive is fully supplied with honey, 
they will be near the bottom, if not, farther up among 
the combs; in some hives they cannot be seen even 
where they exist. Yet they may be found in four out 
of five, by a thorough search. I have found nine with- 
in two inches of the bottom, some on the extreme ends 
of the comb. I would here give a caution about turn- 
ing over hives with very new combs, before they are 
attached to the sides of the hive, as they are apt to 
bend over. 
EMPTY HIVES TO BE READY. 
We will now suppose that some of your stocks are 
ready to cast their swarms : we will also presume that 
your empty hives for the reception of swarms'are ready 
before this period ; to prepare a hive after the swarm 
lias issued is bad management ; negligence here argues 
negligence elsewhere; it is one of the premonitions of 
“ bad luck.” 
BOTTOM-BOARDS FOR HIVING. 
You will want also a number of bottom-boards ex- 
pressly for hiving; get aboard a little larger than the 
bottom of the hive, nail strips across the ends on the 
under side to prevent warping; in the middle cut out 
a space five or six inches square, and cover with wire 
cloth. These are for your large swarms in very hot 
weather, to be used for four or five days. They are 
