4 • THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. January, 



easy to accomplish, but in less favor- warm and well fed they will fly but 

 able places it requires care and at- sparingly, and seemingly without any 

 tention. Pains must be taken to have desire to seek the queens. A lusty, 

 the nuclei or colonies with the young well-fed drone from a populous stock 

 virgin queens (I will call them "mat- ca" hardly be handled without caus- 

 ing" colonies for convenience) well '"g the death convulsion, while an un- 

 supplied with young bees, and the derfed one can scarcely be forced in- \ 

 store of pollen and honey must be to the same condition, 

 abundant, and the supply from with- To keep drones alive out-of-season, 

 out must be constant if we wish to or under adverse weather or crop con- 

 secure full nourishment of the young ditions, it is often advised that they 

 queen. Warmth and full feeding be kept in a queenless colony. This' 

 mean vigor and activity for her, so w'ill assure the non-destruction of the 

 that not only will she be ready to drones, but unless the colony is kept 

 mate early, but she will be better able in a high state of thrift by a full food 

 to overcome adverse conditions out- supply and the constant addition of 

 side. emerging brood, the drones will be 



It is not that it takes a lot of bees of but little value for our purpose. A 

 to feed the young queen, but that the few hundred drones in a thrifty stock 

 population be abundant enough to are worth many thousands in an un- 

 keep internal conditions of tempera- thrifty one. And "thrift" in this con- 

 ture, humidity and kinds of available nection must be taken in the broad- 

 food as near as possible as they are est sense of the word, 

 in a full colony. Given the vigorous well-fed queen 



Such conditions mean fewer "miss- and similar drones, what more can 



ing" queens. be done? Very much. 



Produce such conditions, give such During the past season I was called! 



"mating colony" a good, well-bred npon to solve the delayed mating anci 



queen, and then keep her shut in until high per cent, of loss of virgin queens 



you are ready to have her fly. The '" an apiary of my son's. I puzzlec 



next factors to be consiaered are the over it for many weeks, until at las' 



external conditions. The climate we I found that the drones were al 



cannot control, but we can prevent the through flying before the young queen 



queens from flying on any but favor- took flight. There were several pes 



able days, so in a measure we sur- sible causes for this, but as I am un 



mount that difficulty. Troublesome certain as to the importance of each 



birds can be largely driven from the I w'ill not detail them. But the trou 



immediate neighborhood of the api- hie was easily overcome in this way 



ary, or killed. Often a few discharges The drones and the queens were kep 



of a gun (without shot) towards a shut in until I thought best for then 



bird will drive it permanently away, to fly, and then both given liberty a 



Also I believe the ravages of birds once, 

 much overestimated. It is neither necessary nor wise t( 



Predatory insects are difficult to confine the drones all the time prio 



combat, and we have very few here; to the time we want them, but onh 



so I cannot speak from much experi- necessary to shut them in the nigb 



ence with them. But it would seem before the day we want their services 



as if the evil might be greatly les- In shutting drones into a populou 



sened by letting the queens fly at stock, pains must be taken to giv 



such times of day as the troublesome much room and ventilation. I foun< 



insects were least in evidence. a handy and safe method in placing ; 



Quantity and vigor of males aro full-sized chamber beneath the col 



matters quite within our control and ony, covering the bottom of tb 



are factors which will well repay ev- chamber with a sheet of excluder zin> 



ery queen-raiser for a lot of thought and raising all from the bottom boan 



and care. Quantity is easily secured, so as to give free draft of air. S( 



the methods having been exhaustive- confined, drones will do nicely fo 



ly given by many writers. Unfortu- half a day or more, and be ready t< 



nately, they have stopped with that, fly the instant we release them. 

 It matters not how many males are After the drones have been free fo 



present in the hives, unless they are about a quarter of an hour, I releas 



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