376 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1922 



queen, removed from a strong colony from 

 which we desired to rear some queen-cells. 

 We will just give it two nice combs of 

 brood that we took from the first hive we 

 opened. We will soon have it strong enough 

 to go into supers. 



Another liive is opened. It is doing well; 

 no queen-cells have been started. It is 

 working well in supers. We can do nothing 

 for it but close it up. 



Treatment When Queen is Removed. 



The next hive we find is one from which 

 the queen was removed eight days ago for 

 rearing queens. All nice queen-cells must 

 be cut out and placed in a nursery and the 

 rest destroyed to prevent swarming. I know 

 many writers say cut out all but one, but I 

 have found that one may lead out a swarm 

 if left. Better leave them queenless for a 

 week longer in the swarming season. 

 Disposition of Combs of Honey Removed. 



The next hive we find like the first one 

 we ojjened, preparing to swarm, with an 

 abundance of brood, a vigorous queen, young 

 and active. We will remove its brood-combs 

 and give it the combs of honey we have 

 taken from other hives. If there is not 

 enough to fill the brood-chamber, we may 

 insert two or three dry combs or frames of 

 foundation. It does not harm to shake a 

 colony on to combs half or three-fourths full 

 of honey, for, finding little room to store 

 the honey they gather from day to day in 

 the brood-chamber, they will carry it to the 

 supers above and fill them more rapidly. 

 Treatment When Queen Is Old. 



We open another hive. Here we find 

 queen-cells in all stages of development, 

 some with eggs, some larvae, and one or 

 two already sealed. Shall we shake it as 

 we did the last one? I think not. Look! 

 There is a very small amount of brood for 

 so strong a colony. Evidently the queen is 

 failing. Looking at our record we find she 

 is two years old. No; it will be unwise to 

 treat this colony as we did the last. If we 

 should shake it as we did the last one, they 

 might desert the combs we give it, lose 

 tlieir queen and return to the hive queenless 

 and broodless. Or the queen might fill a 

 space as large as the palm of my hand with 

 eggs and then disappear. 



We find colonies having old queens much 

 more inclined to swarm than those having 

 young queens or those not over a year old. 

 It is also much more difficult to check their 

 swarming impulse. If we sliould shake this 

 colony, it may become an unprofitable one; 

 so we will remove the old queen and also all 

 combs from the brood-chamber which con- 

 tain little or no brood and fill up witli good 

 combs of maturing brood taken from a col- 

 ony we have shaken. The emerging brood 

 will keep this colony strong and at work in 

 supers, although it is queenless. Of course 

 we must cut out all queen-cells likely to ma- 

 ture before we open the hive again, or a 

 young queen may emerge and lead out a 

 swarm and our plans be thwarted. 



Strengthening Colonies After Shaking. 



We open another hive. This is one, I see, 

 that we shook or whose brood we removed 

 eight days ago. They are doing well. The 

 queen has filled four combs with brood. Work 

 has gone right on in the supers. They have 

 given up all thought of swarming. All new 

 swarms decrease in numbers rapidly, espe- 

 cially if honey comes in slowly, as no young 

 brood is emerging for the first three weeks. 



To make up for the loss of these old bees 

 that are dying off, we will remove three or 

 four combs of honey from the brood-cham- 

 ber of this colony that was shaken from its 

 brood eight days ago and fill up with combs 

 of emerging brood we have removed from 

 some other hive. 



As we go over a yard in this way we look 

 after supers, removing those that are filled 

 and giving new ones where they are needed. 

 A good man can go over a yard of 80 to 100 

 hives in a day if he has a good assistant. At 

 the end of the day he will have few more 

 colonies than at the beginning, but the most 

 of them will be in better condition to gather 

 the nectar flowing from the fields of clover. 

 All colonies made queenless should be given 

 a young queen in about 15 or 16 days. We 

 run in virgin queens at the entrance, with 

 little loss as a rule. Of course all filled 

 supers should be removed and new ones 

 given as needed. 



Some years when we have found it neces- 

 •sary to shake a large number of colonies 

 and we have more brood-combs than we can 

 give to other colonies, we have taken a 

 brood-chamber full of them and gone to 

 some colony where the bees were loafing on 

 the outside of the hive and scooped up 

 enough to care for the brood. 



Effect of Destroying Queen-cells. 



Sometimes we can break up the swarming 

 impulse by simply cutting out queen-cells 

 once in eight or nine days and it answers 

 every purpose; at least a colony will go no 

 farther than to start cells and the queen lay 

 eggs in them. However, for the majority of 

 colonies, when once t^iey have started, strong 

 measures are required to stop them and keep 

 them at work in the supers. Many colonies 

 will do but little in supers after they have 

 larvae in queen-cells, unless honey is very 

 abundant in the fields, and prompt work is 

 required to secure the best results. It does 

 not pay, as a rule, to shake a colony until it 

 is strong in bees, so we often in the fore 

 part of the season cut out queen-cells from 

 weak colonies and wait until the next time 

 we go over them before sliaking. 



Of course, such a system requires that the 

 queens' wings be clipped before the swarm- 

 ing season sets in. It also requires good 

 judgment on the part of the beemaster. 



Sometimes we can check the swarming im- 

 pulse by removing only two or three combs 

 or frames of brood instead of removing all 

 of the brood (which is better) and replace 

 with dry combs or foundation. 



Middlebury, Vermont. 



