336 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1918 



its- own queens. Since it is a well establish- 

 ed fact that queens lay more eggs during the 

 first year than in any other, it is evident that 

 frequent requeening pays well for the extra 

 labor and that it is really necessary in order 

 to secure the best results in honey-produc- 

 tion. The best honey-producers hold that it 

 does not pay to keep queens more than two 

 years old. There is, however, one exception 

 to this rule. This is in queen-rearing a])i- 

 aries where it is desirable to have a large 

 number of choice drones always on hand. 

 Since old queens lay a much larger number 

 of drone eggs, it is often well on this ac- 

 count to keep a few old queens of select 

 stock. 



QUEEN-REAEING NOT DIFFICULT. 



It is true that queen-rearing can not be 

 carried on without careful attention; but 

 the methods are not, as many believe, so 

 complicated as to make it impossible for the 

 honey-producer to afford the time. In rear- 

 ing queens by any artificial method, it is 

 first necessary to study the circumstances 

 and conditions under which queens are rear- 

 ed naturally, namely, under the swarming im- 

 pulse. From this study we learn that the 

 hive must be well filled with bees and there 

 must be a bountiful supply of honey and 

 pollen. The amount of brood supplied should 

 be limited so as to concentrate the working 

 force of the colony on the building of 

 queen-cells. Here is the outline of a plan 

 I have used with good results. 



From a strong vigorous colon.y, remove the 

 queen and most of the brood. Then take 20 

 wooden cell-cups, each of which has a wood- 

 en base with a depression into which has 

 been previously placed a molded wax cell. 

 Into these place a little royal jelly. Next 

 take a frame of larvae from the best ureed- 

 ing queen and with a grafting needle care- 

 fully lift out larviB about 24 hours old. 

 •Place these into the prepared cell-cups and 

 give them to the queenless colony and, if no 

 honey is coming in, feed them until the cells 

 are capped. Or, if desired, after about 24 

 hours these cells may be given to a' colony 

 made queenless but not broodless, and an- 

 other batch of cells given to the first colony. 

 I'or when cells have been started by a brood- 

 less and queenless colony, they will usually 

 be finished just as well by a colony with 

 brood but queenless. 



It is better and more in harmony with na- 

 ture not to allow the queens to hatch in 

 cages, for when first hatched they need the 

 attention of the nurse bees as they are not 

 fully developed for several days. It is 

 well known that the drones contribute as 

 much as the queens to the character of the 

 workers. Therefore in order to have a large 

 per cent of the queens mated to select stock, 

 it is well to rear a large number of drones in 

 one or more colonies whose queens produce 

 worker progeny especially noted for their 

 good qualities. If desired, we may help in 

 the drone-rearing by giving these colonies 

 some drone foundation. 



All i)hases of bi^ekeeping are interesting. 



but to me queen-rearing is particularly so. 

 How fascinating it is to see the cells ac- 

 cepted and watch them grow large, white, 

 and beautiful; to see the big fat larva curled 

 up on a lump of royal jelly much more than 

 it can use; and then, after the cell has been 

 sealed and given to a nucleus, to watch for 

 the virgin to hatch. Finally the cell is found 

 open at the end and we know the queen is 

 there. Still we want a look at her and so 

 we find her. How large, long, and beautiful 

 she is! In a few days we look to see if she 

 is laying. There she is with a more matronly 

 and dignified appearance. We know she 

 has mated and will be laying in a few hours. 

 The next day when we look again, there are 

 eggs, which proves that she is now fitted to 

 begin her life work. We cage and then in- 

 troduce her into the home or colony where 

 she is to reign supreme; and we hope and 

 trust that her reign will be one of peace 

 and prosperity. 



Lowville, N. Y. 



* * * 



The Best and Cheapest Way to Requeen. 



BY B. F. HOLTERMANN. 



This interesting subject was discussed in 

 an address given by A. D. Hall at the con- 

 vention held last fall in Watertown, N. Y. 

 He used to requeen during the honey flow. 

 His experience was, that, as soon as honey 

 began to come in freely, the bees began to 

 build queen-cells. If he wanted a queen 

 from the colony, after seven or eight days 

 he would go thru the colony, kill the queen, 

 and remove every cell except one of the 

 best. In that way he overcame the swarming 

 impulse and saved time and manipulation. 

 Ho said he had frequently been asked what 

 he did with all the bees in the hive if they 

 did not swarm. His answer was that he 

 often made a nucleus from it, and increased 

 and made up losses in that way. If queen- 

 cells were started for swarming, and he 

 wished to keej) the queen, he removed her 

 with a comb of brood and bees and added 

 some more bees. A beekeeper must, however, 

 adjust himself to conditions. Bees are 

 sometimes held back from swarming by 

 rainy weather. In such a case the bees 

 might not follow the usual rule of casting 

 the second swarm the eighth day after the 

 issue of the first; but the swarm might come 

 cut, even three days after the first. He 

 would not advise killing the queen of a colo- 

 ny unless the cells are well advanced — al- 

 most ready to swarm. In that way the best 

 cells are obtained. 



During the time that the colony is queen- 

 less, and as the young bees emerge from the 

 cells, leaving them empty and not again oc- 

 cupied by eggs and larvae, the bees will clog 

 the brood-chamber with honey; but after 

 the young queen emerges from the queen-cell 

 left in the hive the bees will move the honey 

 into the super, thus preparing the brood- 

 chamber for the eggs which in time the 

 young queen is expected to deposit. 



0. O. Enders of Oswegatchie, N. Y., stated 

 that he often killed the oi<l (pieen and put 



