Where an increase of colonies is desired, and in case no one can
be near the apiary to care for natural swarms with clipped queens,
some one of the artificial methods of forming new colonies may be
advantageously employed. Natural swarming is, however, to be preferred
to a poor system of artificial increase. And no matter which of the
artificial methods be adopted, it should be cautiously followed, lest,
should unfavorable weather appear suddenly, considerable labor and
expense be incurred to prevent disastrous results. It is also of prime
importance not to weaken materially the gathering powers of strong
colonies just at the opening of the harvest or during its progress;
hence, whatever division takes place then must leave the field
force--the gatherers--in one mass and in normal condition for work,
that is, not discouraged by being queenless, and not overburdened by
having brood without a sufficient number of nurse bees to care for it.
=Dividing.=--A plan which fulfills these conditions is the
following: From a populous colony a comb or two with adhering bees and
the queen may be taken and placed in a new hive, which, when other
frames with starters have been added, is then to be put on the stand of
the populous colony from which the combs were taken. The removed colony
is to be taken a rod or more from its old stand, so that the flight
bees returning from the field will enter the newly established colony.
The old colony may be given a laying queen or a mature queen cell a day
or two later This finishes the work in a short time.
=Nucleus system.=--A better plan, though not so quickly completed,
is to take from the populous colony only enough bees and combs to make
a fair nucleus on a new stand. A queen is easily and safely introduced
into this nucleus, or a queen cell is readily accepted a day or two
later. As soon as the young queen has begun egg laying, combs of
emerging brood may be added from time to time. These may be obtained
from any populous colonies whose tendency to swarm it is desirable to
check, the bees adhering to them when they are removed being in all
instances brushed back into their own hive. With fair pasturage the
nucleus will soon be able to build combs and may be given frames of
comb foundation, or, if the queen be of the current year's raising,
frames with narrow strips of foundation as guides may be inserted,
since all combs constructed by the nucleus will be composed of worker
cells.
=Shaken or brushed swarms.=--The practice of shaking or brushing
bees from the combs of populous colonies into new hives to form
artificial or forced swarms has been practiced for many years, to a
limited extent in this country and more largely abroad. As early,
at least, as 1872 the late C. J. H. Gravenhorst, the editor of Die
Illustrierte Bienenzeitung, author of Der Praktische Imker, and
inventor of the Bogenstuelper hive, made artificial swarms in this
manner. His articles led the author to experiment in this line and
finally to settle upon the plan of placing colonies designed for honey
production in pairs in the apiary and, after having brought them up to
a suitable strength, shaking or brushing most of the bees of the two
into a third hive at the approach of the main honey flow, one queen
being allowed to enter the new hive with the shaken swarm. The latter
is to be placed on the old stand midway in position between the spots
previously occupied by the parent colonies, these having been removed
some distance, to be managed thereafter as colonies that have swarmed.
The newly shaken swarm is to receive comb foundation starters in the
frames and within a day or two surplus receptacles for honey. In case,
however, drawn combs be used in the super, there had better be one or
two frames in the brood apartment partly filled with completed comb
to hold the first pollen collected. The shaking or brushing should
be done toward the latter part of the day and during a time when new
honey is coming in, or in the absence of the latter liberal feeding
should precede the shaking and be kept up until the start of the honey
flow. The shaken swarm is thus brought into quite the same condition
as usually obtains in the case of a natural swarm. It is able to send
out a strong gathering force at once and will store honey rapidly. The
increase of 50 per cent is as large as is consistent with the securing
of the best honey yield.