1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



429 



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'ipmmm^ 



DRONE-CELLS VS. DIPPED CUPS. 



How to Convert Drone-cells into Queen-cells: Roy- 

 al Jelly Superior to Ordinary Worker 

 Larval Food. 



BY H. 1,. JONES. 



i'l/r. Editor : — As yon are always open to 

 conviction, and ever ready to welcome the 

 truth, even when it conflicts with your own 

 preconceived notions, it is with confidence 

 that I resume the discussion on our different 

 methods of queen-rearing. I work and exper- 

 iment with bees the whole round of the year, 

 and verify every statement I make, so that I 

 have a big advantage over you with your few 

 months of practical work per year. I want to 

 convince you that you are making an error in 

 claiming so many advantages for dipped cells 

 over drone-comb cells. Both in Gleanings 

 and in the new edition of the A B C of Bee 

 Culture you state that we have to put our 

 drone-cups into queenless colonies to get them 

 started ; but I will say that we have to do no 

 such thing, although under some conditions we 

 get better results by doing so ; and I will fur- 

 ther state that, whatever you can do with your 

 dipped cells, we can do vdth our drone-cups ; 

 and I believe a little better too. 



I have repeatedly tried dipped cells and 

 drone-comb cells in equal numbers on the 

 same stick, and almost invariably got better 

 results from the drone comb. In the accom- 

 panying photo of queen-cells, note the bottom 

 row. This contained six cells prepared from 

 drone comb and six dipped cells, and was 

 placed directly in the upper story of a strong 

 colony with a laying queen below. The photo, 

 I think, speaks for itself as to the most desir- 

 able and successful method, and it isn't sim- 

 ply a selected case either, but an average re- 

 sult. You claim that the dipped cells are 

 more regular, also less liable to be damaged 

 in handling ; but I certainly fail to see either 

 of these advantages ; in fact, the photo shows 

 the uniformity of the drone-cells, and how 

 much better they are protected. Note how 

 heavily the drone-comb cells are covered with 

 comb incrustation, and the protection this af- 

 fords. When a warm knife is slipped between 

 these cells, and they are placed between the 

 frames in queenless colonies, flat sides to the 

 combs, they are almost as safe as if inclosed 

 in cell-protectors, as only the extreme points 

 are exposed at all, and I now rarely use cell- 

 protectors with such cells unless in conjunc- 

 tion with spiral cages, when I have a surplus 

 of cells. It may be important to mention 

 that, after I prepare my row of drone-cells, 

 and before inserting the jelly and larvae, I al- 

 ways insert the end of my leadpencil, which 

 is tapered off a bit, into every second cell, 

 and give it a twirl. This enlarges the top of 

 the cell a little, and gives it the exact appear- 



ance of a natural queen-cell, and it doesn't 

 take ten seconds to do ten cells. 



ROYAI^ JELIvV AN ADVANTAGE. 



Some breeders maintain that royal jelly is 

 not essential when transferring larvse into 

 cell-cups ; but this is altogether contrary to 

 my experience, as I have in almost all cases 

 had a much greater percentage of cells accept- 

 ed by using a liberal supply of royal jelly. 

 Observe the top row of queen-cells which 

 were raised from drone cells in a queenless 

 colony. The first seven cells were furnished 

 with royal jelly and larvse, then four cells 

 were supplied with larvte only, and the re- 

 maining eight cells were again furnished with 

 royal jelly and larvae. Just note the result. 

 Every cell with jelly was accepted, but not 

 one that had received no jelly, although these 

 latter occupied the most favorable position. 

 WORKER-CELLS FOR QUEEN-CUPS. 



The second batch of cells gives a view of 

 queen-cells constructed from worker-cells, the 

 larvae being placed in every third cell for con- 

 venience in cutting apart. Out of fifteen cells 

 given, twelve have been accepted ; but it is 

 not often that I use worker comb for this pur- 

 pose, and I picture it here just to show where 

 a good substitute can be obtained when no 

 drone comb is available. I should also men- 

 tion that, in the two upper rows of cells, the 

 queens have all hatched out ; and on account 

 of the joints of the cells being removed they 

 do not look quite so long as they otherwise 

 would. 



YOUNG V. OLD LARV^ FOR QUEENS. 



On the third row of cells I have been exper- 

 imenting with young and old larvae. To the 

 left of the little neck, in the center of the 

 frame, nine cells were grafted with larvae about 

 twelve hours old ; and to the right, nine cells 

 were grafted with larvae nearly three days old. 

 All the young larvae were accepted, but only 

 seven of the old larvae, and these older larvae 

 were, of course, capped over and hatched out 

 first. If Dr. Miller (Stray Straws, page 82-5, 

 1899), had seen these two batches of queens 

 he would soon decide whether to follow the 

 scientist or the practical man. A young larva 

 grows very rapidly, and a three-day-old larva 

 is much larger than any one who has not 

 closely observed imagines. I shall probably 

 have something more to say on this subject 

 later on ; but I will say right here that, while 

 it may be all right in theory to raise queens 

 from larvae approaching three days old, such 

 a course in practice will result in a very infe- 

 rior class of queens. 



In conclusion, friend Root, I will say that 

 none of the above batches of cells were select- 

 ed from others not so favorable to my line of 

 argument, but the four lots (which are brought 

 together for the convenience of the photogra- 

 pher) were put up under the usual circum- 

 stances prevailing in my apiary, and represent 

 an ordinary week's operations. 



The blossoms around the frame are from 

 the blood wood {Eucalyptus corymbosa), a 

 large native tree, and a good honey-producer 

 that is now in bloom. 



Goodna, Queensland, Aus., Jan. 15. 



