The value of a May swarm is referred to by Tusser, who says:
Take heed to thy bees that are ready to swarm.
The loss there of now is a crown's worth of harm.
In Warwickshire the first swarm of bees is simply called a swarm ; the second one from the same hive is known as a cast ; while the third is termed a spindle. In Hampshire it is a common saying that bees are idle or unfortunate at their work whenever there are wars.
from American Bee Journal, 1875
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