April, '22] PADDOCK: COST OF POOR QUEENS 135 



From the data given in this table it is possible to make certain deduc- 

 tions : 



1. There is too much loss in queen introduction. 



2. There is too much replacement necessary. 



3. There is too low proportion of good replacement. 



4. The cost of good replacements is very high. 



5. Late fall requeening proved very unsatisfactory. 



There are also questions coming from the experience of the two sea- 

 sons: 



1. How soon should a queen be replaced? 



2. How can replacement best be made? 



3. Are we getting low producing queens? 



Of the queens from source I almost 25% were lost in introduction. 

 These were introduced by the cage method, considered as nearly safe 

 as any method which can be recommended to the average beekeeper. 

 From source II 30% of the queens were lost when the cage method of 

 introducing was used. In the two cases the introduction was made 

 early in the spring and in some instances into 3-frame nuclei. However 

 dandelion was in full bloom and requeening at this date is generally con- 

 sidered safe. The queens of sources HI and IV were introduced during 

 the first half of August, the period usually considered ideal for fall re- 

 queening in this locality. The introducing was done by the cage 

 method into full colonies. The only possible cause for the high loss 

 at this time was the nectar flow; honey was coming in but not in great 

 quantities. In the case of source V the requeening was undoubtedly 

 attempted too late in the season. At this time the nectar flow was over 

 and early preparations for winter were under way. The queens of 

 source VI were introduced early by the cage method, and into 3-frame 

 nuclei. A moderate amount of feed was given to these nuclei which may 

 have so changed conditions that the queens were accepted. 



At the close of the 1920 producing season 17 of the 31 queens from 

 source I were found to have given such poor results that they were 

 killed. Eleven were replaced and the small amount of bees in the 

 6 remaining colonies were doubled with other colonies. Not only was 

 a very large number of replacements necessary but what should have 

 been 6 colonies disappeared from record. By the end of the 1921 season 

 9 of the 14 remaining queens gave such poor results that they were 

 replaced. Of the queens from source II only 3 were found unsatisfac- 

 tory during their first season and were replaced. However, during the 

 second year 6 of those saved were replaced because the results of their 

 colonies were unsatisfactory. 



