ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 
173 
moved, are all wronged in a continued line, the bees, instead 
of leaving them, will stoutly defend them against the 
thieving pi densities of other bees. 
In returning the frames, care must be taken not to 
crush the bees between them and the rabbets on which 
they rest; they should be put in so slowly, that a bee, on 
feeling the slightest pressure, may have a chance to creej. 
from under them before it is hurt. In shutting up the 
hive, the surplus honey-board should be carefully slid on, 
so that any bees which are in the way may be pushed 
before it, instead of being crushed. A beginner will find 
it to his advantage to practice—using an empty hive—the 
directions for opening and shutting hives, and lifting out 
the frames, until confident that he fully understands them. 
If any bees are where they would be imprisoned by clos¬ 
ing the upper cover, it should be propped up a little, until 
they have flown to the entrance of the hive: (PI. VII., 
Fig. 20.) 
An artificial colony may be made in five minutes from 
the time a hive is opened, if the queen is seen as quickly 
as she often is, by an expert. Fifteen minutes is, on ar. 
average, ample time to complete the whole work. In less 
than a week, if the weather is pleasant, an Apiarian with 
a hundred old stocks, by devoting to them a few hours 
every day, can, without any assistance, easily finish the 
business of swarming for the whole season. 
But if the formation of artificial swarms is delayed, as it 
always should be (p.-), till near the time* for natural 
swarming, how can the bee-keeper, unless constantly on 
hand, escape the risk of losing some of his best swarms ? 
If he prefers to dispense entirely with natural swarming, 
he may deprive his fertile queens of their wings: (see 
* It will bo easy—with movable-comb hives—to determine, by an occasional 
inspection, when the season for natural swarming is approaching. 
