Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-05
PREVENTING SWARMING OF
BEES

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can come to the beekeeper is trying
to prevent swarming, or recovering
the bees when they have taken 1t into
their heads to move on to other locali-
ties.
swarming is. in the majority Of
cases, due to cramped quarters where
It Is impossible for the bees to store
additional honey. and where the hive
Is completely filled, and has large
numbers Of young Matching out each
day. This Is particularly true where
the condition takes place while the
pollen is exceedingly plentiful and the
chance to store more honey Is ex-
tremely favorable.
Swarming cannot be fixed definitely
as to time, but one can, by watching
the hive and colony closely. tell ap-
proximately Just when 1t is to be ex-
pected. Oftentimes the bees will clus-
ter on the outside Of the hive for
some time. The day Of the swarm
ing they will usually go inside the
hive and later issue in body.
One way Of preventing swarming
when there is no necessity for a
change in quarters, Is to clip the
wings on one side Of the queen. Care
must be taken not to handle her by
the abdomen, but rather by the thorax,
or head and body. Clip the wings on
one side, leaving stubs. which will
prevent her flying and Joining the
swarm. The swarm may take the air,
but they will not leave unless the
queen joins them.
Another way Of preventing the
queen leaving the hive, and one that
does not mar her appearance, is to use
guards on the entrance which pre-
vent her from getting out Of the hive,
but does not keep the workers from
coming and going. This. however, al
80 has it's disadvantages as it pre-
vents the workers getting in and out
quickly and some contend that during
the rush season 1t materially cuts
down the supply of honey stored.
It is well always to be prepared for
tho emergency so that a swarm can
be hived quickly and with as little.
exertion as possible. One should
have a location picked out for
the hive in advance, and If any at
tention is paid to the bees at all, one
will know just where the trouble is
coming from, SO there will not be
many lost steps when the hour for
action arrives.
If the queens have all been clipped,
It is not such a hard trick to hive
the swarm. It is necessary to have an
empty hive handy with a comb Of I'M
sealed larvae. AS soon as the swarm
comes out of the old hive, the thing to
do is to find the queen and to cage her.
She is generally hopping around the
entrance trying to take wing with the
rest. Being unable to fly she is not
hard to find. Cage her and place the
empty hive on the old foundation.
The swarm has generally taken the
air by this time. Then place the
Gagged queen near the entrance. Find
ing that they are minus the queen
they will soon return and enter the
new hive. AS soon as they have
started, the queen can be released and
she will enter with them. New supers
must be added quickly as the hive
generally is given only starters. A
new swarm or a swarm in a new hive
will work with increased energy and
one will have to push the work with
the supers.
The old hive has now been moved to
q new location. 1t contains brood
cells and queen cells and 1t may
throw off a second or third swarm.
but If one cuts out the queen cells. ad-
ditional swarming may be checked to
a considerable degree.
The old hive may be left alongside
the new one. but the entrance should
be changed, either reversed or moved
to one side.
Following this plan. one can retain
practically every swarm with very
slight effort And there is no reason
why swarms should be permitted to
escape. especially when one keeps in
mind the value of their potential yield
in fact the commercial value of the
colony itself.
Where one takes a close stock Of
the situation In the season of the year
when swarming is most likely to &C.
cur, 1t Is possible to keep the natural
increase practically intact from year
to year with only slight effort and
trouble. The secret lies in being
ready for the emergency.