226 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



No one who is familiar with the first principles of biology will ques- 

 tion the statement that bees cluster, even though it is midsummer, 

 to exclude oxygen under the above conditions. An excess of oxygen 

 is as fatal to larval and all other animal life in the foetal stage of 

 development as the lack v^'ould be. I have repeatedy hatched sealed 

 larvae in a home-made nursery-incubator, but always failed with 

 unsealed, although some of the cells would be half sealed. 



Furthermore, during a rush of incoming nectar, the fielders 

 force the bees that are clustered on the bottom bars to handle the 

 nectar, this act eventually and practically placing them in the same 

 condition as a sw^arm. They build comb, always worker comb 

 (unless there is a very old queen), to the bottom bars. Broadly 

 speaking, the colony is now in the same condition as if it had 

 swarmed. An^-thing that would produce this divided condition 

 would have the same effect regardless of the size of the entrance. 



Size of Entrance and the Moth. 



Another serious objection to the large entrance, although it has 

 no connection with swarming, and has more to do with the width 

 of the entrance than with the depth, is the moth. This problem 

 probably applies with more force to the south than tO' other sections 

 of the country. After several seasons' close observation with one 

 or more observatory hives (three the past season) I can state posi- 

 tively that the moth generally enters the hive at one of the corners 

 going up on the inside end of the hive until she reaches the end of 

 the top bars, and then along the top bar one or more inches before 

 going dowm on the brood combs. I think the distance she goes on 

 the top bars depends upon the temperature of the hive and w'hether 

 the colony is strong in bees. My glass hives contain, usually, full 

 size colonies. She will scatter her eggs in the top bars quickly and 

 leave the same way she came if not detected by the bees. When 

 you think of it a moment, there is no better or safer way for her 

 to enter or leave a hive. 



The Home-Raising of Queens. 



By ADRIAN GETAZ. Knoxville, Tenn. 



^^\ Y selecting vour queens from the l;.cst colonies you will have 

 ^^ as good queens that you can possibly buy. The queen 

 breeder on a large scale has no certain way of knowing which 

 of his colonies is best for honey gathering. He has to draw on 

 them constantly to make his nucleii, and is all the time changing 

 combs and brood from one to another. 



