Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-05-02

once with some colony that has good queen.
When a colony only lacks food exchange
comb with some hive that can spare II as
well as not, or resort to feeding. l am most
troubled by deficiency of bees, and how to
increase them rapidly that all Of my hives
may be full Of them by the time of the COM
mencement Of the honey harvest is the great
question with me through April, May and
early June. During April and May am
careful to keep the hives as close as possible,
that all the heat generated may be retained,
and thus assist brood-rOaring. | also feed
little liquid sweet every other evening to
stimulate them in their attempts to rear young
bees. As the spring advances, judicious
exchange Of combs is very desirable. To
illustrate; open q hive that contains a
swarm that covers four combs with bees, and
taking out comb from the outside Of the
bees. and then dividing the cluster Of bees
in the middle l insert the empty comb. If
this change is made at the right time the
queen will very soon fill it with eggs and
brooding proceed faster than it otherwise
would. But if the colony is not strong
enough for this, take the empty comb and
give it to strong colony, taking thereirom a
comb of mature brood just ready to hatch
and place it in the weak stock, and in few
days the population will be largely increased.
This interchange of combs may be continued
as long as may be necessary to bring about
the desired result.
Before the harvest commences the bee
keeper should decide whether he will increase
his stocks or take all the profits in surplus
honey. If he desires TO increase his stock
it can be done most satisfactorily by making
artificial swarms. There are many ways Of
doing this, but Iprefer the following method:
A few days before the natural swarms appear
deprive few hives of their queens, which
may be used in making new colonies. Eight
or nine days later these queenless hives will
contain large number Of sealed queen
cells. Now take the combs from as many
hives as you desire new swarms, shaking one
half the bees from the combs with the queen
at the entrance Of the hive, then place the
combs aud remaining bees in new hive, set
ting at little distance from the old one.
The old bees will all leave it in day or two
if the weather is pleasant and return to their
old hive, making it strong enough. The
young bees that are Matching very fast from
the brood in the new hive will in few days
make it sufficiently populous. Twenty-iour
hours after placing the combs in the new
hive insert sealed queen cell into the GEN.
ter Of the brood Of each, and they will need
but little further attention. Skill, expe-
rience and judgment are essential in all mat
ters pertaining to bees, and especially SO in
making artificial swarms, If the beO keeper
desires surplus honey instead Of an increase
Of stocks very different course mast be
pursued. In this case ell natural swarmiug
must be discouraged and few or no artificial
colonies made; for it is evident that if
stock Of bees cast swarm its strength is
divided, and the laborers that gather the
honey to fill the new hive and feed its brood,
had they remained at home could have stored
as much surplus in boxes as it takes to fill
the new hive and feed its young bees. Be-
sides, much valuable time is lost in preparing
to swarm. How then can this swarming i'm
pulse be controlled ? have little faith in
patent non-swarming hives about which we
hear so much. believe the hive is yet to
be invented, if indeed it ever will be, from
which swarms will not at times issue unless
the bee keeper interferes to prevent it, for
swarming is one of the strongest instincts
of the honey bee when everything is favor
able. There are many things, however, that
seem to discourage swarming which when
combined quite effectually prevent it, but
not always. To discourage swarming as
much as possible the brood chamber should
be rather large, that the queen may find am
pie room for ovipositing. 1t should have
arrangements for ample ventilation in hot
weather. The hive should also be painted
white, or stand in the shade, which prefer,
and be 80 arranged that large number of
boxes eau be placed very close to the brood
before any preparation has been made for
swarming.
Or if you prefer liquid honey, add as
many more combs as the hive contains, and
use the extractor. Bees are not as apt to
swarm where large number of colonies are
collected together as where there are but few
hives kept. Where all these conditions are
complied with believe very few swarms will
issue; still in good years there will be some
swarms that seem to prefer the excitement of
swarming to quiet industry. Such in due
time will start queen cells and rear young
queens, that they may be in readiness for
that event.
l now prefer to 60 over my apiary about
once week during the swarming season,
carefully lifting the combs from each hive,
that may certainly know their intentions.
II find colony that has the swarming
fever at once take from it large portion
or all their brood combs and replace with
empty combs or frames. Finding their own
domicile robbed Of its treasures they seem
content to give up the idea of emigration
and commence with renewed industry, repair
ing their loss and storing surplus honey. The
combs taken from such hives can be used to
strengthen weak colonies or make new ones
or may be returned to the same swarm after