SWARMING. 
213 
to know which are ready, as soon as one has started 
or commenced flying, look at all the rest that are in 
condition to swarm ; or, what is much better, look be- 
fore any have started. Even if nothing unusual is seen 
about the entrance, raise the cover to the boxes. If 
the bees in them are all quiet as usual, no swarm 
need be immediately apprehended, and you will 
probably have time to hive one or two first. 
PREVENTING A SWARM ISSUING FOR A TIME. 
But should you discover the bees running to and 
fro in great commotion, although there may be but 
few about the entrance, you should lose no time in 
sprinkling those outside with water from a watering- 
pot, or other means. They will immediately enter 
the hive to avoid the supposed shower. In half an 
hour they will be ready to start again, in which time 
the others may be secured. I have had, in one apiary, 
twelve hives all ready in one day, and did actually 
swarm ; several of which would have started at once, 
had they not been kept back with water, allowing 
only one at a time, thus keeping them separate. 
They had been kept back by the clouds, which broke 
away about noon. 
TO PREVENT SWARMS UNITING WITH THOSE ALREADY HIVED. 
When any of the subsequent swarms were disposed 
to unite with those already hived, a sheet was thrown 
over to keep them out. I had four so covered at once. 
An assistant, in such cases, is very important; one 
can watch symptoms and keep them back, while the 
other hives the swarms. 
