118. As the approach of the end of the honey flow comes, the bees should be crowded in the sections as much as possible in order to cause them to complete filling as many sections as they can. The treatment towards the end of the flow is just the opposite from earlier, and less storage space should be given as the flow proceeds to the end. It will often be found that certain colonies are more efficient than others in finishing sections well. Frequently comb honey producers, after removing supers in which some partly filled sections may remain, make up supers of partly filled sections and put them back on these finishing colonies. In all these manipulations, you will find that bees will seldom be inclined to fight or rob while the honey flow is on. Indications of robbing by the bees is a certain sign that the honey flow is nearing an end.

119. One of the objects of the strong colony previous to the honey flow is for the control of swarming by providing the necessities in the chapter on swarm control. The producer of section comb honey need not think he has been so negligent as the producer of extracted honey if swarms emerge. It is far more difficult to control swarming in the production of section comb honey than in producing any other style.

120. Swarms will sometimes emerge after the honey flow has actually started, especially if the colonies have not been given proper treatment before the honey flow. If a swarm does emerge after the honey flow starts, follow the method of hiving outlined in paragraph No. 98. Be sure to immediately transfer the supers onto the hive into which the swarm is put. If no increase in the number of colonies is wanted, proceed as follows: In order to secure a maximum honey crop, cut out all queen cells in the hive (parent colony) from which the swarm issued, immediately after you have hived the swarm in a new hive. The old hive may stand anywhere conveniently close to the new hive. Its entrance should be far enough away so that the bees of the swarm in returning do not get back into the parent colony. In 18 days from the time the swarm issued, practically all the brood will have developed into adult bees in the parent colony. These bees may then be shaken in front of the swarm hive and the combs of the parent colony may be given to weaker colonies in the yard to be taken care of.

121. However, if increase is wanted, and here it must be remembered that you can get increase in the number of colonies of bees only at the expense of the honey crop, the queen cells are not destroyed in the hive from which the swarm emerged. This hive may be left nearby the one into which the swarm was put for only five days. Then, without shaking the bees off the combs, the hive from which the swarm issued is moved to a new stand, preferably at least 10 or 15 feet distant. This gives increase but does tend to cut down the honey crop to some extent as all the parent colony bees do not go into the swarm. If the hive from which the swarm issued has been kept close to the hive into which the swarm was put, when moved to the new stand 10 or more feet away, the field bees which may have developed in the parent colony will unite harmlessly with the new swarm. This strengthens it and increases the amount of honey it may produce that season. If the season is favorable and the honey flow prolonged, the old colony from which the swarm issued will need additional super room as soon as the new young queens begin laying. However so much time will have elapsed since the beginning of the honey flow, that it will usually be found more convenient to give them hive bodies of drawn combs, rather than to attempt the production of section comb honey on the parent colonies under such conditions.