GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



MEQUEENING WITHOUT DEQUEENING 



BY J. E. HAND 



On p, 851, 1913, J. B. Merwiii outlines a 

 method of requeening without removing the 

 reigning- queen. This article introduces a 

 subject that has been discussed pro and con 

 in the journals with the unanimous verdict 

 that, wliile bees will tolerate a plurality of 

 laying queens or queen-cells, acting on the 

 principle that " to the victor belong the 

 spoils," they will not, as a rule, tolerate a 

 virgin queen at mating age in the same 

 colony with a laying queen of any age, 

 unless she is actually failing, even though 

 separated by a queen-excluder. There are 

 exceiDtions to all rules, however, and un- 

 doubtedly friend Merwin's case is the ex- 

 cei^tion and not the rule. Some 20 years 

 ago Mr. Doolittle became quite enthusiastic 

 about rearing queens in a hive having a 

 laying queen, the bees having access to both 

 compartments, but was compelled to aban- 

 don the project because a large majority of 

 the virgins were either killed or driven from 

 the hives by constant nagging and worrying 

 by the bees as the queens arrived at mating 

 age. 



Viewing it thus, it is safe to assume that 

 friend Merwin's success was due to one of 

 two conditions — either the laying queens 

 were actually failing or weak, or else an un- 

 usual honey-tlow had a soothing etfeet upon 

 the disi>osition of the bees temporarily; for 

 many manipulations can be performed witli 

 bees at such times that would result in 



disaster during a dearth of nectar. It is 

 generally conceded that a plurality of lay- 

 ing queens are safe in any hive until they 

 hapi^en to meet when both are in fighting 

 trim, which may not take place for several 

 days, or even weeks. This gave rise to the 

 false theory that any number of queens 

 would co-operate peacefully in the same 

 liive if the bees would accept them. The 

 late E. W. Alexander became very enthu- 

 siastic about it ; but nature asserted her 

 l)ower, and the queens fought in mortal 

 combat until but one remained, and the 

 theory was exploded. 



It strikes me that the method of requeen- 

 ing without dequeening, as outlined by A. 

 C. Miller, page 850, gives promise of ulti- 

 mate success when operated in conjunction 

 with the smoke method, for the reason that 

 a queen on arrival by mail is slim and 

 active, while the reigning queen is sluggish 

 and corpulent ; hence if they meet after 

 the bees have become reconciled to the new 

 queen the chances are all in favor of the 

 new queen. But the chances are even that 

 they will meet Avhile the bees are still viewing 

 the new queen with suspicion, in which case 

 the bees would undoubtedly decide the con- 

 test in favor of their recognized monarch. 

 This contingency could be easily provided 

 against by using a division-board between 

 them for two or three days. 



Hirminaham. Ohio. 



KEQUEENING WITHOUT DEQUEENING IN NEW ZEALAND 

 A Duel Between Two Queens 



BY N. SMKDLEY. 



In the December 1st issue, 1913, page 

 851, is an article on requeening, by J. B. 

 Merwin. This is a step in the right direc- 

 tion, and will prove a cheap and safe meth- 

 od of requeening. I have just tried it with 

 100 hives. In some cases where cells were 

 already started, I grafted these without cag- 

 ing the queen, and they were accepted and 

 drawn out to fine cells. This copy of 

 Gleanings came at the right time, as I was 

 thinking over this requeening problem. I 

 was killing the old queens and gi-af ting what 

 cells I found already formed. Any found 

 queenless would receive a laying queen from 

 another hive, and the hive the queen was 

 taken from would be grafted. The queen's 

 wings are clipped. Killing these queens in 

 the middle of January (in my locality), I 



consider is no loss; for by the time the last 

 of the eggs are hatched out the lioney-fiow 

 is about done. 



I have also tried the smoke plan of intro- 

 ducing virgins; but the virgins were not 

 successful in ridding the hive of the old 

 queen, but they were accepted in every 

 ([ueenless hive. I had a one-frame observa- 

 tory hive with a laying queen. Toward 

 evening I ran in a virgin queen. She pass- 

 ed the guards, and I watched her climb up 

 the frame. The bees took no notice of her. 

 She went among them quietly and seemed at 

 home; but presently she came to the queen 

 of the hive, and they fought immediately, 

 rolling down the frame locked together, on 

 to the bottom-board. Now, here is the point : 

 As soon as these queens started to fight. 



