The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-02-19
Two Hives to Control Swarming

TT is bee nature to swarm, and up
to the present time no plan of
4 management has been discovered
that will at all times prevent it with
out too much labor and a decrease
of honey yield, so it is not practical
We may, however, check or entirely
prevent swarming in ordinary sea-
sons by using two hives to each col
ony early in the season while the
queen mother Is in full Vigor and
brood rearing Is on rush orders. By
this plan of management we may in
crease our bees by dividing or pre-
vent any increase Of colonies.
We may be working for comb or
extracted honey. The Spring man
agement will be the same up to the
time of the surplus honey flow. This
plan calls for at least one surplus
hive for each colony and should con-
tain ready built combs saved over
from last season. In April or May
when the bees are strong and gath
ering freely, we may give second
hive. This is best placed below the
old brood chamber where no excluder
is used. Move the old hive to one
side, put bottom board on its place
and on this your new hive. Remove
two of its comb frames. Open old
hive and draw from it two Of out
side combs containing stores or If
some brood, all the better, and place
these in the-middle Of the new hive.
Now spread the brood in the old
hive so as to get the two empty combs
in the middle of the brood nest and
place this old hive on top of the new
ones. When the surplus honey flow
comes about a month later, we may
find the queen has established a
brood nest in the lower hive, SO we
now arrange for the future division.
Have your smoker going we'll and
blow three or four full blasts over
and between the frames of the top
hive. Pause long enough to count
60, then repeat. This Is done so as
to be sure the queen goes below.
Have your prepared comb-honey su-
per ready.
Controlling Swarming.
Lift the top hive off and set it
down across an open top box. 1t Is
usually best to raise comb from
middle of lower hive so as to be sure
it contains brood. Now place your
comb-honey super on this hive; then
the old hive on top Of all, there to
remain 10 days. This is done to
give time for all the brood in this
l. 20 ha cnoIaL apd nNllc
. ready to hatch two or three days
later.
This is done to secure an increase
and to get work started in the first
super before making the division.
Now move the old hive which is now
on top to a stand Of its own. About
10 days later it's young queen should
have mated and begin laying so, II
colony Is working strong, this hlve
now may be given surplus super
The hive at the old stand should be
looked after. II it is being crowded
for super room, additional supers
may be added. Remove them as fast
as they are filled and finished. NC
more than two supers should be on
hive at any time.
BY using this double deck hive We
have accomplished two very impor.
tant points. First, we have secured
all the surplus honey in the top hive
so 1t may be taken away. II left
in the brood nest this surplus honey
might cause swarming or be him
drance to the queen all Summer long
Second, we have secured eight frames
full Of brood to the top bars, or
which to place the supers with not
particle OF sealed honey below and nc
empty cells in which to store 1t ant
so when the flow is on the bees mus
store the honey above.
Super Room.
Up to this time we have controlled
swarming and doubled the number o.
colonies without having a single nat
ural swarm and now the bees arr
rushing work in the supers. W.
must, therefore, not forget to keel
them supplied with all the super room