86 PRACTICAL QUEEN REARING 



hivebody with a young queen and seven frames of brood were 

 removed to form a new colony. The strength of the parent 

 colony was little affected apparently. Possible swarming had 

 been prevented, temporarily at least, by the Demaree plan 

 of placing the old queen in the empty hive below. There were 

 two colonies better than any parent colony and swarm we had 

 that season. In this way there had been no risk or loss. The 

 new colony was not removed from its parent until both were 

 provided for, neither was the possible crop cut short by dividing 

 the working force of the parent colony at a critical time. 



After three years of success with this method the author 

 feels confident that it will prove successful on a large scale. 

 Both queens can be left in the hive until the close of the honey- 

 flow if desired, but there is little to be gained by leaving the 

 queen above after her chamber is filled with brood. If both 

 are left in the hive until late in the fall, one of the queens is 

 likely to disappear. 



If desired, the process can be repeated as soon as the upper 

 story has been removed, as by this time the old queen will have 

 filled the lower story with brood again. By beginning early, 

 it should be possible to make two and possibly three new colonies, 

 without reducing the honey crop from the parent colony to a 

 serious extent. 



This same plan might be used for the purpose of mating 

 additional queens while making some increase, by the breeder 

 who wishes to accomplish both ends at the same time. The 

 method is particularly valuable to the honey producer who wish- 

 es to make some increase or rear queens for use in his own apiary, 

 without reducing the honey crop. If increase is not especially 

 desired, the same plan can be worked for the purpose of super- 

 seding queens. When the young queen has become nicely 

 established in the upper chamber, the old queen can be removed 

 from below and the position of the bodies reversed. It would 

 be well to permit both queens to continue laying until the height 

 of the honeyflow, in order to get as large a field force as possible 

 for storing the crop. 



