A Swarm of Bees in May
Bees usually swarm when a group of them leave their old hive and seek to establish a new one. This usually happens in the late Spring/early Summer after they've increased their population by a significant amount. Beekeepers can take advantage of this time to establish new hives in their bee-houses. In general, the best time to do this is in May or June. It's usually not worthwhile for a beekeeper to establish a new hive in July. Hence the rhyme below...
A Swarm of Bees in May
Nursery Rhyme
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay;
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.
Comments
This rhyme and illustration can be found in The Real Mother Goose (1916), illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright.
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