Occasionally a swarm will issue, and in a few minutes return to the old stock. Mr. Miner gives a cause for this, very ingenious, and romantic, but unfortunately there are but few facts to sustain this hypothesis, (at least I have not discovered them.) There are other causes that appear to me more reasonable; the most common is the inability of the old queen to fly, on account of her burden of eggs, old age, or something else. I have sometimes, after the swarm had returned found the queen near the stock, and put her back, and the next day she would come out again, and fly without difficulty, (perhaps she had discharged some of her eggs.)
Their returning is more frequent in windy weather, or when the sun is partially obscured by clouds. About three-fourths of them will not re-issue until a young queen is matured, eight or ten days afterwards; and a few, not at all. But when the queen returns with the swarm, they usually come out again the next day, or day after, and some not till the third or fourth. I have known two instances where they issued again the same day.
REPETITION PREVENTED.
Sometimes a swarm will issue and return three or four days in succession, but this I generally remedy, as it is often owing to some inability of the queen, and she may be frequently found while the swarm is leaving outside the hive, unable to fly. In such cases it is only necessary to have a tumbler ready, and watch for her; and as soon as she appears, secure her, get the empty hive for the swarm, a sheet, and put down a bottom-board a few feet from the stock. The swarm is sure to come back; the first bees that alight on the hive will set up the call; as soon as this is perceived, lose no time in setting the old stock on the board, and throwing the sheet over it to keep out the bees. Put the new one in its place on the stand, and the queen in it; in a few minutes the swarm will be in the new hive, when it can be removed, and the old one replaced. This I have done many times. But should the swarm begin to cluster in a convenient place, when you have so caught the queen, by being expeditious she may be put with the swarm, before they have missed her and may be hived in the usual way.
LIABILITY TO ENTER WRONG STOCKS.
In all cases, whether you set a new hive in place of the old one or not, whenever a swarm returns, if other stocks stand close on each side, they are quite sure to receive a portion of the bees—probably a few hundreds; these are certain to be massacred. To prevent which, it is necessary to throw sheets over them until the swarm has gathered on their own hive. This is another reason for plenty of room between stocks. Should no queen be discovered during their issue, or return, she should be sought for in the vicinity of the hive, and put back if found, and the swarm will be likely to issue several days earlier, than to wait for a young queen.
When the old queen is actually lost, and the bees have returned to wait for a young one, it is often ready to leave one or two days short of the time required for second swarms. Whether a greater number of bees in the old stock creating more animal heat, matures the chrysalis in less time than a stock thinned by casting a swarm, or some other cause, I cannot say. I mention it because I have known it to occur frequently, but not invariably. A swarm flying, unaccompanied by a queen, is scattered more than usual.
FIRST ISSUES GENERALLY CHOOSE FAIR WEATHER.
First swarms are commonly more particular as to weather than after swarms. They have several days from which to choose, after these royal cells are ready, and before the queens are matured; and they usually take a fair one. But here again are exceptions. I once had two first swarms issue in a wind that kept every branch of tree and bush in agitation to such a degree that it was impossible to find any such place to cluster. I expected their return to the old hive; but here were more exceptions. After repeating a fruitless attempt at the branches, they gave it up, and came down amongst the grass on "terra firma." This occurred after several days of rainy weather. The next day being pleasant, twelve issued; almost proving that the wind the preceding day kept back a part. I also knew one to issue in a shower, that beat many of them to the ground before they could cluster. In this case the shower was sudden, the sun shone almost up to the time it began to rain. About this time the swarm started when it seemed they were unwilling to turn about.
AFTER SWARMS.