s should never be allowed to send off more
than two colonies in one season. To restrict them to one is still
better. Excessive swarming is a precursor of destruction, rather than an
evidence (as usually regarded) of prosperity. A given number of bees
will make far less honey in two hives than in one, unless they are so
numerous as greatly to crowd the hive. When a late swarm comes out, take
away the queen, and they will immediately return. Any one may easily
find the queen: she is always in the centre of the bunch into which the
swarm collects on lighting. If they form two or three clusters, it is
because they have that number of queens. Then all the queens should be
destroyed. The following cuts of the three classes of bees will enable
one to distinguish the queen.

[Illustration: Working Bee. Queen. Drone.]

The queen is sometimes, but not always, larger than the common bee; but
her body is always longer, and blackish above and yellowish underneath.

To unite any two swarms together, turn the hive you wish to empty
bottom-up, and place the one into which you would have them go on the
top of the other, with their mouths together; then tie a cloth around,
at the place of intersection, to prevent the egress of the bees. Gently
rap the lower hive on all sides, near the bottom, gradually rising until
you reach the top of the lower hive, and all the bees will go into the
upper one.

In the same way, it is easy to remove a colony into a new hive, whenever
you think they need changing. This should be performed in the dusk of
the evening, and need occupy no more than half an hour. The hive should
then be put in its place. Uniting weak new swarms, may be done whenever
they come out; but changing a swarm from an old hive to a new one should
be performed as early as the middle of June. If moths get in, change
hives at any time when it is warm enough for bees to work, and give them
all the honey in their old hive. If you discover moths too late for the
bees to build comb in a new hive, take the queen from the hive infested
with moths, and place it where the bees will unite with another colony,
and feed them all the honey from the deserted hive. This, or the
destruction of the bees and saving the honey, is always necessary, when
moth-worms are in possession, unless they are so near the bottom, that
all the comb around them may be cut out. Bees are fond of salt. Always
keep some on a board near them.

They also need water. If a