28 



PRACTICAL QUEEN REARING 



large numbers of drones will fly from these colonies, and thus 

 increase the chances that young queens will meet desirable 

 mates. Care should be used to make sure that the combs 

 in the brood nests of other colonies than the breeders contain 

 as little drone comb as possible, and thus reduce the production 

 of drones to the lowest possible minimum. Traps may be used 



Fig. 4. Full sheets of foundation in the brood frames insure worker 

 combs and a minimum of drone production. 



also to catch such drones as appear in undesirable colonies. 

 Unless the breeder is willing to go to great length to control 

 his breeding stock and thus give his customers the best which 

 it is possible for him to produce, he should by all means confine 

 his attention to the production of honey or some other busi- 

 ness. There are entirely too many indifferent queen breeders 

 for the good of the industry. 



Mating in Confinement a Failure. 



Some practical method of absolute control of mating has 

 long been sought. At the University of Minnesota Prof. 

 Jager succeeded in getting one queen impregnated artifically 



