The Springdale news., 1889-08-02
NOTES FOR BGE-
An Effective and Simple Way of Prevent
 ing After swarms
ARKANSAS.

An Effective and Simple Way of Prevent
 ing After swarms.
 have tried various plans to prevent second swarms by hiving in different ways, such as moving the old hive to a 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 t) the fact that these methods have a tendency to lessen tho amount of surplus, since the old hive is so reduced that it is long while before it becomes strong enough to work III the boxes Hence we have only the new swarm to depend upon for a sur plus. where we depend wholly upon clover and basswood for box honey. I 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 mo best is to return one-third of the swarm to the old hive, put the remaining two thirds in a new hive and add to it, as soon as may be, one or more two-thlrds swarms (wthout queens this time), each time returning the third Of tho 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 arc made very strong, and are in the best of condition Co store a large amount of honey in the boxes. As I do not desire large increase of colonies, l strive to secure large sur plus, regardless of increase.
 To prevent second swarms l go to tho hives four days after swarm has is sued, lift out the combs one by one, and cut out all quedn-cells but one, leaving the best one if 1 wish to rear q queen from this stock; if not, all arc cut out, and cell from some other is introduced. Then in four days more 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 hatches and finds no rival, and the bees not being able to rear another, owing to tho age of tho brood, the young queen is per- mitted to leave tho hive for fertiliza- ton, without the bees following her; and in due time she will commence to lay. Bluff the young queen is allowed to hatch before the other cells arc re- moved. as recommended by some wri- ters. even if the cells are removed very soon after the queen hatches, there is danger of a second swarm. But if all surplus cells are removed before the queen hatches, there is no danger of a 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 Cthis be- ing only his second season in having charge of an apairy, and he had for gotten my instructions of the year bc fore; upon inquiry l learned that h' had not removed tho cells the seconC time; or on the eighth day, thinking that. if he removed them soon after th' young matched from the cells left il the hive, when looking them over tn fourth day after the swarm had issued it would be as well. But the resul was six after-swarms in one day,
 visited his yard next day and helpc' him cut out the surplus cells from al that had swarmcd seven or eight day previously; and cautioned him to at tend to this matter in tho future. whicl he did, and inc result was no nor second swarms Gleanings.