68 
Beekeeping 
has been suggested. At any rate, the modern practice is 
to hive a swarm away from the clustering place for fear re¬ 
turning scouts may draw away the colony. 
Entering the new home. 
When a swarm enters a new abode, the first bees to locate 
the entrance stand with their legs extended and the abdomen 
raised to an angle of about 45°, while their dorsal scent 
glands (pp. 65 and 172) are exposed. They fan vigorously 
and the odor given off is sufficiently strong to be perceived 
if the nose is placed within an inch or two of the fanning 
bees. Bees to the rear take up the same position until 
finally the whole mass is fanning and moving toward the 
entrance 1 (Fig. 49). This may be observed also if bees 
are thrown in front of the hive. 
When a swarm enters a cavity, the bees promptly clean 
it of loose pieces and dirt, the large pieces and irregularities 
of the cavity being ultimately covered with propolis. Large 
numbers of bees, especially the younger ones, now hang 
on one another in curtains while the secretion of wax takes 
place for the building of combs. The supply of honey 
carried in the honey stomachs is adequate to nourish the 
colony for a time if no nectar can be brought to the hive. 
As soon as there are cells available the queen begins egg- 
laying, the field bees gather the available nectar and 
pollen and these activities increase as the comb is sup¬ 
plied by the comb builders. The swarm is equipped as a 
normal colony in a surprisingly short time, if the nectar 
supply is adequate. 
1 If by chance the first bees are headed in the wrong direction or if the 
hive is moved after the fanning has begun, the whole mass may march 
away in the wrong direction. In shaking bees in front of the hive it is 
therefore advisable to toss some of them in the entrance, v. Buttel- 
Reepen attributes this action to the sound given off in fanning, but there 
is little to support this belief. In this marching, any slight obstacle in¬ 
terferes greatly with the progress of the mass of bees, which would scarcely 
be the case if sound were the attracting stimulus. Even the smallest 
amount of smoke interferes for the moment with the entrance of a swarm 
and smoking should be avoided at this time. 
