The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-05
Swarming and Afterswarming,

Ilro is no contamination So devout-
~ wished for among bcekoepers as that
of the prevention of swarming If this
could be accomplished, the specialist
could have several out apiaries and
manage them by simply visiting them
once a week during the honey season.
AS it now is, there must be some one TO
watch for and hive swarms, or the loss
IN this direction will be great. To raise
comb honey to the best advantage we
must have good populous colonies of
bees, and when they are in this condi-
ton swarming is quite likely to occur,
and at present there seems to be no in
fallible, practical, profitable method of
preventing this, but it is possible that
one may yet be discovered. The best
probably that can be done is to allow a
generous entrance, shade the hive and
see that there is an abundance of room
in the surplus apartment.
1t may not be out of place to remark
that some beekeepers-perhaps all who
find it convenient to remain in or near
the apiary during the swarming season
prefer to have at least one swarm
from each colony, as with proper sea
son they may get more honey in the
aggregate and have more bees i'll the
fall, but more than one swarm from
colony is not desired when honey is the
object sought. Fortunately afterswarm-
ing is prcventable. The plan practiced
most is called the Heddon method and
consists III hiving the swarm upon the
cid stand and placing the old hive by
its side bat with its entrance turned
away at an angle of As degrees Each
day the entrance of the old hive is
S. 81 v turned toward that Of the new
" !tvsd swarm.
~ the end of week both hives are
Gi.t"r .ido by side, and if either We're
removed all of the flying bees would
c..t.4 the one that remained. 1t is at
about this time that the first young
| queen matches in the parent colony, and
it is to her advent that swarming is
due. Just at this time the old hive is
carried to a new stand some distance
away. All of the flying bees return TO
the old stand and join the new colony
upon which has been placed the supers
taken from the old hive. The old colo
ny is so completely robbed of its bees
J just as the young queens are Matching
that swarming does not occur, all of the
young queens except one being killed
probably in royal combat
This plan fails only when the queen
cells are SO far advanced at the time Of
swarming that the first queen matches
before the removal of the hive, or they
ere in such an early atage that the queens
do not hatch until several days after the
removal, which allows sufficient bees to
hatch to bring about swarming. This
obstacle has been removed by closing
the entrance of the old hive as soon as
the hive is parallel by the side Of the
new hive and placing in the entrance a
"bee escape that is, wire cloth cone
opening outwardly. This allows the
bees to leave the hive, but when they
return they do not find the small open
ing of the cone, but enter the newly
hived swarm. This keeps the parent col
ony so reduced in bees that no swarm
ing occurs. In about two weeks from
the time that the swarm issued the old
hive can be placed upon new stand
and given queen or a ripe queen cell,
says the authority for the foregoing III
q communication to Country Gentleman.