J 05 DR. MILLERS 



you will see, leaves an entrance for the bees in the upper hive, 

 just as there would be if, instead of being put up, it were set on 

 a stand down on the ground. There is no possible communica- 

 tion between the two hives, and if a bee goes from one to the 

 other it can only do so by going out at one entrance and going 

 in at the other. 



Q. Would it not answer to put up the queen as soon as queen 

 cells with larvje in them are seen, instead of waiting and watch- 

 ing for swarms ? 



A. Yes, it works well, although I have not had as much ex- 

 perience with that plan as with waiting for the bees to swarm. 



Q. When you put down the queen again, is there no danger 

 of her being balled? 



A. I do not recall that she was ever balled, to my knowledge. 



Queens. — Q. How can you tell a queen from the rest of the 

 bees ? 



A. Look for a bee longer than the rest, and with wings that 

 look too short for the length of its abdomen. You'll not be likely 

 to miss it the first time you see it. 



Q. What is meant by fertile queen, and virgin queen? 



A. A queen that has met a drone, a normal laying queen, is a 

 fertile queen. A virgin queen is one which has not yet been 

 mated. 



Q. In the advertisements of queen-breeders, the following 

 terms are used, which I do not clearly understand: Tested, Un- 

 tested, Select Tested, Select Untested Queens, and Breeders. 



A. A tested queen is one whose progeny shows she has mated 

 with a drone of her own race. In the case of an Italian queen 

 you will see that that will mean that the worker progeny of the 

 young queen shows three yellow bands. 



An untested queen is usually one sold as soon as she begins 

 to lay, and so nothing is yet known as to the appearance of her 

 progeny. An untested queen, of course, can be sold at a less price 

 than a tested one, and that for two reasons. In the first place, 

 it saves the expense of keeping the queen some three weeks, if 

 she is sold untested. In the second place, if queens are kept until 

 tested, those which do not come up to the test must be rejected 

 or sold at a lower price as mismated, while all will be sold at the 

 same price if sold while untested. 



A select queen, either tested or untested, is one. that is selected 

 because she is unusually good in appearance. However it may be 



