222 



THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



or more colonies in the apiary, and no 

 one should attempt to rear queens with 

 a less number. 



By distributing the brood of six or 

 seven full hives as above, some very 

 strong stocks of bees will be the result 

 in a short time. 



To make the matter so that all will 

 understand it we will suppose that six 

 or more colonies have been working 

 on queen cells and that the cells are 

 capped. Just at this time it is neces- 

 sary to start more cells, as it will not 

 do to let even one day pass by with- 

 out preparing for more or less queens, 

 that is, if one intends to fill his orders 

 promptly and also keep a good supply 

 of queens on hand. Now, proceed as 

 follows : brush all the bees from the 

 combs of another hive ; replace the 

 combs and take the hive to a stand 

 that is occupied by one of those used 

 for cell- building ; remove the latter a 

 few feet ahead and place the former in 

 its place ; remove several of the combs 

 from the hive having the cells (not those 

 combs having the cells on them) and 

 shake several quarts of bees from them 

 in front of the empty hive. As they run 

 in, let a fertile queen go in with tliem. 

 When all, or about all, the bees are in, 

 a little smoke should be blown in the 

 hive at the entrance, as that will pre- 

 vent the bees from molesting or kiUing 

 the new queen. 



The combs on which the cells are 

 built, with the adhering bees, may be 

 transferred to a smaller hive, and if not 

 located too far from the former stand, 

 the bees will not desert the cells. To 

 be sure that the cells are being prop- 

 erly protected, the hive should be exam- 

 ined occasionally. If the cells are not 

 well covered, more bees should be add- 

 ed. Thus, it will be seen that by man- 

 aging the apiary as above, but few col- 

 onies need be broken up to start the 

 season, and after the first preparation no 

 colonies need be kept queenless. 



If a more practical plan for rearing 

 (jueens in large numbers or on a more 

 economical scale has been advanced by 

 any one it has not come to my notice. 



Wot a " fussy " method. 



Though this method may seem rather 

 " fussy" and troublesome when reading 

 it, yet it is not at all so, as hundreds 

 have stated who have tested it. 



There is but one method for rearing 

 queens of which I have any knowledge 

 that is better than this one, and that is 

 the one by wliich queens are reared in 

 full colonies without removing or even 

 disturbing the queen. By that method 

 no colonies are made queenless at any 

 time ; neither is it necessary to disturb 

 but one comb in the brood-chamber. 

 Though this latter plan is a practical one, 

 yet it will require more or less experi- 

 ence in order to make it successful at 

 all times. 



I never saw a person who could take 

 hold of anything with which he had had 

 no previous knowledge and make it a 

 success. Practice and experience are 

 the requisites of success in any under- 

 taking or enterprise. And certainly one 

 must have considerablejtraining and ex- 

 perience in order to succeed in any- 

 thing connected with bee culture. 



Placing the bees in the swarm box. 



I will now go back and take up again 

 the subject of queen-rearing. We had 

 proceeded so far as to get the bees in a 

 receptacle ready to "dump" into the 

 swarm box. 



Before the combs from which the 

 bees have just been taken are placed in 

 the hive and made ready to remove to 

 the stand, the bees should be cared for. 

 Jar them down into the bottom of the 

 box and then strike the box endwise on 

 the floor to force the bees into more 

 compact quarters. Then at once turn 

 them into the svv arm-box as one would 

 turn a quantity of corn from one box 

 into another. 



Place the box in a cool place until 

 the bees realize their queenless condi- 

 tion, which will require not far from two 

 hours. 



How to prepare the nucleus. 

 A nucleus hive adapted to three stand- 

 ard Langstroth frames should then be 



