f 



'% 



ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



37' 



laying eggs by virgins, eggs which in- 

 variably produce males. This discovery 

 is due to the immortal Dzierzon, and 

 was long doubted by many, but is cap- 

 able of absolute demonstration. 



When a colony becomes hopelessly 

 queenless, that is, when there are no 

 eggs or young larvae from which may 

 be reared queens, such bees as may 

 have the ability to lay eggs seem to con- 

 sider it a duty to replace the missing 

 queen within the limit of their powers. 



when the combs are removed from the 

 hive with a little care. 



Sometimes the laying of an old 

 queen that has lost her fertility is mis- 

 taken for that of drone-laying workers. 

 This is of some importance, for al- 

 though a queen may be successfully 

 introduced to a colony containing a lay- 

 ing worker, it is almost impossible to 

 succeed in the introduction of a new 

 queen, if there is an old queen in the 

 hive. 



•* 



^ 



i^ 



C. P. Dadant. 



F - 



One er more worker bees assume this 

 duty. But their eggs are laid irregular- 

 ly, sometimes several in one cell, and 

 sometimes on the side-walls of the cells 

 instead of at the bottom. I have my- 

 self seen a half-dozen or more workers 

 laying, at the same time, on a comb 

 which had been taken out of the hive 

 for inspection. Such a sight may be 

 witnessed more readily with the Ital- 

 ians than with the common bees, be- 

 cause they are less excitable and do 

 not become frightened and rush about 



The only way to make positively 

 sure of the presence of an old queen is 

 to search for her. But there is a slight 

 difference between the laying of a worn- 

 out queen and that of one or more lay^ 

 ing workers. The old queen lays but 

 few eggs, and these are always at the 

 bottom of the cells. She rarely lays 

 more than one egg in a cell, this in- 

 congruity being committed only by lay- 

 ing workers, or sometimes by very 

 young and very fertile queens which 

 lack room, and have not yet reached 



■■jata^sJaiiiv, 



