SWARMING 
813 
tage in having these young bees emerge in 
a super, possibly at the top of the hive, re¬ 
mote from the brood-chamber in order to 
bring about a better distribution of the 
young bees thruout the hive. This plan is 
not so well adapted to comb-honey produc¬ 
tion altho some who produce comb honey 
remove one or two frames of brood from 
colonies that are crowded, giving these re¬ 
moved combs to nuclei or weak colonies. 
( 12 ) DESTROYING QUEEN-CELLS. 
In some cases destroying queen-cells is 
really a remedial measure; but, if destroyed 
when first started and more super room or 
more ventilation is given at the same time, 
it may be proper to consider destroying 
queen-cells as a preventive measure. There 
are same very nice points in cell-killing. As 
Dr. Miller had the largest experience of 
any man in the United States, if not in the 
world, the author asked him to give his 
views; and the reader will do well to go 
over very carefully what he said: 
I have yours asking some questions about 
cutting out cells to combat swarming, and 
proceed to reply. We don’t call it cutting 
cells here, but “killing cells,” the term 
“cutting cells” being applied to cutting 
out ripe queen-cells that are to be used for 
rearing queens. When we find queen-cells 
constructed as a preparation for swarming, 
we nei r er cut them out. If a cell contains a 
larva several days old, it is simply mashed 
with the end of the hive-tool. If an egg or 
a small larva is in the cell, it may be mashed 
or the egg or larva may be dug out. In 
either case the work is very quickly done, 
and a very slight defacement will cause the 
bees to reject the cell. 
We begin looking for swarming cells just 
as soon as we think there is any danger of 
their being started, or a little before. The 
first time we look in a few of the strongest 
colonies—perhaps the first of June, before 
the bees begin to store from white clover— 
and if we find no cells started in these we 
go no further, for if the strongest have not 
thought of swarming the weaker ones may 
be trusted for a time longer. After that we 
try again in eight or ten days. Ten days may 
be as well as a shorter time. Indeed, as the 
young queen will be started from the egg 
there is no danger that she will go off with 
a swarm under fifteen days. But if we go 
beyond ten days, complications may arise bv 
means of swarming with the old queen, and, 
as there is some danger of delays from rainy 
weather or other cause, it is not a bad nlau 
to make eight days the period. Then if it 
is delaved a dav or two for any cause, we 
are still all right. 
The second time we look jsgaii) in the 
strongest colonies, and if no cells are found 
in these we go no further. But whenever we 
find one or more cells started in any one of 
these strongest colonies, then every colony 
must be examined. At least that will be the 
way early in the season; later on there will 
be exceptions. 
Some one may ask at what stage of the 
growth of queen-cells they are destroyed. 
At any or all stages. In fact, no thought is 
given to whether advanced cells or only eggs 
are to be found. Every eight or ten days we 
go thru each colony and kill all cells found. 
At the first overhauling and at any sub¬ 
sequent one so long as no cells have been 
found at a previous overhauling, the bees 
are shaken from each comb. One sharp shake 
will usually leave the comb clean enough. 
This, allows the cells to be more easily seen, 
whereas if all the bees are left on, some cells 
may escape detection. If no cell is found, 
then the page of the colony is found in the 
record book, and the entry “no c.” is made 
after the date. Some years we have omitted 
such entry so long as no cells have been 
found in the colony that season, leaving it 
to be understood that so long as no entry 
as to cells appears, no cell has been found. 
But it is a little safer to' make the entry, 
for then we can be sure that we have not 
killed cells and forgotten to make the entry. 
When at any time cells are found, they are 
of course killed, and the entry of that kill¬ 
ing is made with some degree of particu¬ 
larity. The entry “k 1 eg” means killed 
one egg; “k 2 eg” means killed two eggs; 
“k 1 c” means killed one unsealed cell; 
“k 1 s c” means killed one sealed cell. 
Often there will be killed one or more eggs 
and one or more grubs, when the short but 
comprehensive entry will be made, “kc,” 
meaning killed cells. Indeed, that is the 
most common entry made. 
After the first time around, before open¬ 
ing a hive, the book is always consulted as 
to previous history, and if cells have been 
previously killed it is a matter of some 
judgment as to what is to be done. If the 
previous entry was “ke” there is a good 
chance that the bees are bent on swarming, 
and it will not do to shake the bees off 
the comb, for we may want to find the 
queen, and stirring up the colony by shaking 
the bees would make the finding difficult. So 
the combs are carefully examined without 
shaking the bees off. If no cells are found 
after thus looking over the combs, or at 
least a good part of them, then the bees are 
shaken off the combs and a thoro examina¬ 
tion made. Instead of this, we are more 
likely to find a number of cells well ad¬ 
vanced, in which case some sort of treat¬ 
ment that involves finding the queen will 
usually be decided upon, and the queen will 
be found before any combs are shaken. This 
shows the importance of examining the rec¬ 
ord before opening the hive, for without 
that we would not know whether to shake 
the combs or not. 
The beginner is very likely to think that 
