GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



duces bees of all sizes does not suit me for 

 a breediui:; queen, for it could liaidly be 

 expected that her queens would be all of 

 the same size. It costs a queen-breeder no 

 more to use a breeding queen that produces 

 queens of regular size and color. However, 

 no one must expect to get all good queens 

 of regular size and color, even from the best 

 breeder in the world, unless the cells are 

 built in a colony that is full of young bees; 

 and they must have a natural honey-flow or 

 else one as near natural as possible, brought 

 about by stimulative feeding. 



One colony should not have more than 18 

 cells to build at one time. The bees will 

 build more than 18, but some of the young 

 queens will probably be undersized or off 

 color. Furthermore, unless the cell-build- 

 ing colony is strong and composed of many 

 young bees, even with 18 cells there may be 

 some undersized virgins. This condition will 

 be found more often in case of a cell-build- 

 ing colony that has too many cells to build 

 at a time. The bees can not care for all of 

 the cells properly, and the outside ones 

 suffer for warmth and food while the cells 

 near the center have every advantage. 

 Nearly always the small virgins come from 

 these outside cells. 



Fig. 1, accompanying illustration, shows 

 one of my apiaries — 175 colonies in all — 

 and they were ready for the honey-flow. 

 Every hive was full of bees from top to 

 bottom, and from one side to the other, 

 excepting a few containing nuclei that I 

 had formed a short time before for increase. 

 This proves that it is worth while to select 

 a queen for better bees. 



I much prefer that all virgins should be 

 mated and laying by the time they are ten 

 days old, and not over twelve at the most. 

 Virgins that are not mated before they are 

 twplve days old make poor queens, as a 

 rule, and are likely to be drone-layers, or 



Fig. 2. — A neglected colony in a neglected hive is 

 not a good business proposition. 



Flii. .'..—The )iisuie of the liive slicnvn in Fig. 2. 

 .V mere nucleus at the opening of the honey-flow is 

 not in condition to do more than build up to full 

 strength by fall. 



else will be superseded in a short time. This 

 is not always true, but I believe it is the 

 rule. 



In any apiary where the colonies are 

 headed by queens that are reared from any 

 queen that gives pretty bees regardless of 

 other important qualities, the result will be 

 about as follows : One-third of the colonies 

 will get a good crop of honey, one-third 

 will get about half a crop, and the other 

 third will just barely live, and may have to 

 be helped by the good colonies. I do not 

 think such bees pay. In such a case I would 

 I'ccommend the purchase of a good breeding 

 queen from some queen-breeder that has 

 good bees, and head all colonies with good 

 vigorous queens reared from this one breed- 

 ing queen. There will then be another story 

 to tell the next season. Of course, the vir- 

 gins must be mated to good drones. There 

 may be a few queens in the last class men- 

 tioned above that will prove to be very good 

 queens the season following; but I do not 

 advise placing much dependence on them. 

 I would recoaiuie. .ipei scdii'g all such 

 (|ueens. 



Fig's. 2 and 3 show how some people keep 

 bees. Can any one expect such a little colo- 

 ny to get any surplus during the next 

 honey-flow? The bees will do well to build 

 up to a full colony and get into condition to 



