THE REARING OF QUEEN BEES. 15 



in an incubating cage of zinc (see figs. 4 and 5). This gives the advan- 

 tage of starting the cells under the most favorable conditions for their 

 acceptance, and at the same time makes it unnecessary to have so many 

 queenless colonies in an apiary, which is obviousl}^ not economical. 



METHOD OF STARTING CELLS. 



In starting cells it is desirable that the bar be placed at a level of 

 about 3 inches from the top of the frames when standard-sized frames 

 are used, since this puts the cells in the middle of the brood chamber 

 where the heat is most uniform. This can be done by the method 

 illustrated in figures 1 and 2. After cells are once started the}' ma}' be 

 kept at almost any level of the hive so long as they are fed and kept 

 warm; and as many as three bars may be fastened in one frame where 

 there are plenty of bees to cover all of them. It is possible to put 

 three such frames of started cells in one story of a colony, but at least 

 one frame of comb should be between each two cell frames, so that there 

 may not be too large an opening in the hive. In this way a strong- 

 colony will readilj' complete and care for more than a hundred cells. 



DIFFERENCE IN RACES. 



Here, again, racial characteristics play a large part. Italians do not 

 as readily accept and complete large numbers of queen cells as do 

 either Cyprians or Carniolans. In yards in which Italian queens are 

 reared, it nay therefore be desirable to keep colonies of C3^prians or 

 Carniolans. It need scarcely be said that in such cases drone traps 

 should be used. No fear need be entertained by the queen breeder 

 that races producing large numbers of queens necessarily produce 

 poor ones. Anyone familiar with the prolificness of the queens of 

 these races could not hold such an idea. There is no evidence that 

 under these circumstances the larvEe are less well fed; indeed in such 

 colonies, as in those with fewer queens to care for, the larvfe always 

 leave some royal jelly in the cells when they enter the pupal stage, 

 during which, of course, no food is eaten. 



SWARM BOX. 



Since the greatest difiiculty with this part of queen rearing is in 

 getting the cells started, it is fortunate that we have a method jjy 

 which the matter may be made more certain. It is desirable to get 

 bees into the condition in which they will start large numbers of cells; 

 this can be done by the use of what is known as the " swarm box. " We 

 know that when bees are in too cramped quarters thej^ acquire the 

 swarming impulse, and that under this influence they begin to rear 

 queens; hence if we confine bees in a hive or box the same condition 

 is brought about, but ir a much shorter time. Whether the condition 



