TO PREVENT SECOND SWARMS.
As already stated, the wise apiarist will always have on hand extra queens. Now, if he does not desire to form nuclei (as already explained), and thus use these queen cells, he will at once cut them all out, and destroy them, and give the old colony a fertile queen. The method of introduction will be given hereafter, though in such cases there is very little danger incurred by giving them a queen at once. And by thoroughly smoking the bees, and sprinkling with sweetened water, and daubing the new queen with honey, we may be almost sure of success. If desired, the queen-cells can be used in forming nuclei, in manner before described. In this way we save our colony from being without a fertile queen for at least thirteen, days, and that, too, in the very height of the honey season, when time is money. If extra queens are wanting, we have only to look carefully through the old hive and remove all but one of the queen-cells. A little care will certainly make sure work, as, after swarming, the old hive is so thinned of bees, that only carelessness will overlook queen-cells in such a quest.