Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-04-02
ARTIFIcIAL sWARMLNG.
1t Is Far More Advantageous Than Nat
ural Swarning,

1t Is Far More Advantageous Than Nat
ural Swarming.
If Bookkeeping is undertaken as spe-
cial industry, artificial swarming must
take the place of natural swarming.
Much is said and written about fol-
lowing the natural plan Of bees. The
natural plan should be followed as far
as possible, but it has limits as the nat
ural plan Of every living thing has that
is subject to man. Long experience
shows that while natural swarming,
under some circumstances, is advanta-
geous, yet oftener it is not advantageous.
Every bee-keeper knows that bees, if
they have their own way, will swarm
when there is no apparent reason, or if
the cause be apparent, it is not to the
advantage of the bee-keeper. If bees
will swarm in May or in the early part
of june, good results may come. Even
then there is an uncertainty about
queens, their fertilization, return to the
hive, etc.
The natural plan of bees is restricted
already, and we may 60 a little further,
and interfere with their swarming. 1t
may not be possible to prevent natural
swarming in every case, but we may
come very near to total prohibition.
This is the plan worked out by actual
experience.
When the brood chamber is full,
when the queen has utilized all space,
or nearly all, take out one or two combs
in the center of the bTood-nest, and re-
place with sheets of foundation or emp
" combs. In some cases foundation is
better than comb because the new wax
attracts the bees, and the work in draw
ing out seems 10 satisfy them, gives
them something to do, and stays the
swarming fever. The two combs re-
moved with the clinging bees make
nucleus of new colony. If the nu-
cleus Is to raise its own queen, then
care should be taken that the combs re-
moved contain unmatched eggs.
On the hive from which the combs
were taken, place another body or sec
Ond story filed with empty brood
combs, if the object be extracted honey,
or with empty section combs or foun-
dation If the object be comb honey.
The empty combs in the brood chamber
give the queen laying room, and the en-
largement of the hive together with the
enlargement of the brood chamber,
'swarms" the colony-at least arrests
natural swarming for the present.
As further precaution the drone
trap may be adjusted TO the entrance,
and there remain during the season.
When the brood chamber is full again
repeat the operation, and add 10 the
nucleus already started or begin new
one. In this way may be taken in
season from the colony, ten frames of
brood and clinging bees, equal to col
ony or the natural increase. And this
has been done without disturbing or
weakening the colony. 1t may be said
that If the colony. swarmed naturally in
the right season, there would be two
productive colonies instead Of one. But
the one colony will produce under this
system as much as and probably more
than two colonies. If the apiary con-
tains at least ten colonies, then there
would be ten frames obtained from the
first swarming. The bees on these,
united at once and given queen, make
a strong colony. At the next swarm
ing another colony is obtained, and this
colony, the second, may be early enough
to gather surplus honey. This can be
done, and has been done, but product
from the colonies thus made is not taken
into account. The most that is ex~
pected of the nucleus colonies is that
they build themselves up for service
the next year. George A. Stockwell, in
Country Gentleman.