The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-13
NOTES ron 6EE-KEEFERs.
An Effective and Simple Way OF Prevent.
ing After SWnrms.

An Effective and Simple Way OF Prevent.
ing After swnrms.
/ have tried various plans to prevent
second swarms by hiving in different
ways. such a. moving the old hive to
new stand. and hiving the new swarm
or the new one over to the old; also
hiving the swarms to themselves. and
giving them a portion of the brood
from the parent hives, etc. All Of
these have proved to be unsatisfactory
to me. owing to the fact that these
methods have a tendency to lessen the
amount of surplus, since the old hive is
30 reduced that it is long while before
it becomes strong enough to work in
the boxes. Hence we have only the
new swarm to depend upon for a sur
plus. where we depend wholly upon
clover and Eastwood for box honey.
l always aim to keep every colony
strOng-the ones that have cast
swarm. as we'll as the new ones My
experience teaches me that light
swarms during the honey season give
no profit. would rather have half
bushel of bees in one hive than divided
by two. having a peck in each hive,
when the honey season is at hand
In hiving bees, the plan that suits me
best is to return one-third of the swarm
to the old hive, put the remaining two
thirds in new hive, and add to it, as
soon as may be, one or more two-thirds
swarms (without queens this time),
each time returning the third of the
bees to the hive from which they came.
The surplus queens. if good ones. may
be returned to their respective hives
after cutting off all the queen-cells By
this method the old hive is kept well
stocked with bees. and work in the
boxes is very little interrupted. and
new colonies are made very strong. and
are in the best of condition to store
large amount of honey in the boxes.
As do not desire a large increase OF
colonies. strive to secure large sur
plus. regardless of increase.
TO prevent second swarms I 90 to the
hives four days after a swarm has is
sued, lift out the combs one by one,
and cut out all queen-cells but one,
leaving the best one if / wish to rear a
queen from this stock; if not, all are
cut out. and cell from some other is
introduced. Then in four days more 1
again cut out any queen cells that may
have been started, after which there is
no danger of more being started. Now,
when the young queen matches and
finds no rival, and the bees not being
able to rear another, owing to the age
of the brood, the young queen is per-
mitted to leave the hive for fertilizar
ton, without the bees following her;
and in due time she will commence to
lay. But if the young queen is allowed
to hatch before the other cells are re-
moved. as recommended by some wri-
tiers, even If the cells are removed very
soon after the queen matches, there is
danger of second swarm. But if all
surplus cells are removed before the
queen matches, there is no danger OF
second swarm; at least that has been
my experience the past few years.
One night last season my son report
ed six second swarms that day (this be-
ing only his second season in having
charge OF an apairy. and he had for
soften my instructions of the year be-
fore; upon inquiry l learned that he
had not removed the cells the second
time; Or on the eighth day. thinking
that. If he removed them soon after the
young Matched from the cells left in
the hive. when looking them over the
fourth day after the swarm had issued.
it would be as well. But the result
was six after-swarms in one day. l
visited his yard next day and helped
him cut out the surplus cells from all
that had swarmed seven or eight days
previously; and cautioned him to at
Tend to this matter in the future. which
he did, and the result was no more
second swarms. -Gleanings.