REGARDING RE>Cutting swarm cells Dave Green writes: "Many hobby beekeepers spend a lot of spring time going through hives and cutting swarm cells. I think it's an enormous waste.........Our general practice, when we find swarm cells, is to break up the colony. You can make up two to four nucs with cells in each, and not bother to look for the old queen. Remember, she is a goner, anyway. The bees, now satisied with their reproductive urges, will go on and build into good colonies with young queens." This is good advice. In past years I have spent much time trying to cut out swarm cells, only to have the hive swarm eventually anyway. Because the hives in preparation for swarming are usually good strong ones, these would be the best to choose for splits anyway. I'm giving this practice a try this year. Ted Fischer