FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 117 



cells seem handy. Eggs in queen-cells are also likely to 

 be found, and if you find a queen-cell with more than 

 one Qgg in it you may be pretty sure laying workers have 

 set up business. Sometimes a dozen of eggs may be 

 found in one queen-cell. An egg in a queen-cell with no 

 other brood or eggs present is a pretty sure sign of 

 laying workers. 



TREATMENT OF LAYING-WORKER COLONIES. 



When a colony of laying workers is found early in 

 the season, about the only thing to do is to break it up, 

 and it matters little what is done with the bees. They are 

 old, and of little value. Indeed, there are never any very 

 young bees with laying workers, when the bees are 

 Italians or blacks, and it may be the best thing in all 

 cases to break them up, distributing the bees and combs 

 to other colonies. 



Yet if a strong colony is found at any time with 

 laying workers, and if, for any reason, it may seem de- 

 sirable to continue the colony, a queen-cell, or a virgin 

 queen just hatched may be given, for it is not easy to get 

 them to accept a laying queen. 



DRONE-LAYING QUEENS. 



Drone-brood in worker-cells may be present with no 

 laying workers — the work of a drone-laying or failing 

 queen. The brood in that case, however, will not be so 

 scattering as in Fig. 59. Such a colony is more amenable 

 to treatment, and can be well utilized by uniting with a 

 weak colony having a laying queen. 



BREAKING UP FAULTY COLONIES. 



When fruit blossoms are about ready to burst forth, 

 and bees are carrying pollen whenever it is warm enough, 

 I do not expect to lose any more colonies except those 

 that are queenless or have faulty queens. But I do expect 

 to have the satisfaction of breaking up every colony that 



