Spring Management 261 



wing is cut off with fine scissors. The queen may be held 

 with her wing against wood, when it may be cut with a sharp 

 penknife, but scissors are safer, at least for the beginner. 

 Some beekeepers clip the queen's wing when she is introduced, 

 in case queens are mated from nuclei, but some colonies may 

 rear queens without the knowledge of the owner and an 

 examination for undipped queens in the spring will greatly 

 reduce swarms which issue with queens capable of flight. 

 Some beekeepers, so that they can tell a queen's age, clip 

 opposite wings on alternate years or make a distinctive cut 

 each year. It may perhaps be well to warn the beginner 

 against clipping the wings of an unmated queen. If egg- 

 laying is progressing regularly the queen is of course mated. 



Summary of favorable spring conditions. 



The conditions favorable to the rapid increase in the size 

 of the colony in the spring may be restated as follows : 

 (1) a large number of vigorous workers, due to successful 

 wintering, (2) a prolific queen, (3) abundant stores properly 

 located in the hive so as to be easily accessible to the bees, 

 (4) favorable weather conditions, (5) fresh pollen and nectar 

 and water for the bees, (6) a prolific race or strain of bees, 

 (7) good brood combs of worker cells in quantity sufficient 

 for the needs of the colony. 



QUESTIONABLE MANIPULATIONS 



The manipulations previously discussed in this chapter 

 are not all practiced by all beekeepers but they are not the 

 subject of controversy. On the other hand, there are two 

 spring manipulations that have been the subject of much 

 discussion by beekeepers and they are still in dispute. These 

 are spring stimulative feeding and the spreading of the brood. 



Stimulative feeding. 



So long as nectar is coming to the hive in abundance, the 

 colony is stimulated to the maximum brood-rearing possible 



