1883.] BEE-KEEPING. 167 



common working bee are not developed. The common work- 

 er lives about six weeks ; the Italian queen bee lives for years. 

 There is, however, a difference in every particular between an 

 Italian queen and an Italian worker. 



Dr. Goodrich. It is a settled fact that but one queen can 

 occupy a hive at a time. In case two queens become occu- 

 pants of one hive, I would like to inquire the mode of exter- 

 mination of one of those queens ? 



Mr. Bradley. It is the exception to have two queens oc- 

 cupy the same hive at the same time, but it does sometimes 

 happen. When the bees wish to supersede a queen tliat has 

 grown old, perhaps, tliey seem to reason it out (if we may 

 call it reason). They are aware of the fact that their queen 

 has become old, and for fear of being left without the means 

 of raising another queen, they will go on and raise their new 

 queen before destroying the old one. I have found the young 

 queen hatched in the comb at the same time the old queen 

 was in the hive, but in a few days the old queen had been de- 

 stroyed, and the young queen had superseded her. They start 

 a great many queens, and if they choose to throw out a sec- 

 ond swarm, three or four queens will go out with the young 

 swarms ; but just as soon as the swarm becomes established, 

 the queens fight and destroy each other. 



Dr. Goodrich. I had the idea that instead of the bees de- 

 stroying the queens, the queens themselves came in conflict, 

 and as soon as one got an advantage over the other, she stung 

 and killed her opponent. I was not aware that the bees them- 

 selves destroyed a queen, unless in the case to which you refer 

 of an old queen. 



Mr. Bradley. In the case of an old queen, I think the 

 bees destroy her. They keep her in prison, and destroy her 

 by closing up her prison, and thus smothering her. You are 

 correct in your statement about queens destroying each other. 

 When two queens are sent out in the same swarm, one de- 

 stroys the otlier. They engage in mortal combat, and as 

 they clinch, grapple, and fight, nature has so ordered that only 

 one can be killed. There is one place that they can sting to 



