CHAPTER XI, 



CHANGING OLD QUEENS FOR YOUNG 

 ONES. 



|N my plan of bee management, if a stock does 

 not change its queen for three years in suc- 

 ' " cession, the fourth season the old queen should 

 be taken away, if she shows the least sign of failing, 

 and a young, laying queen substituted in her place. 

 It often happens, if the queen in a stock dies or be- 

 comes seriously injured, that the bees will of their 

 own accord, rear another to take her place. But if 

 her failure has been gradual, the bees may not have 

 the means to do so, when she at last fails entirely, 

 for the reason that she may cease laying, for several 

 days or weeks previous to her death, in which case 

 it would be impossible for the bees, without assist- 

 ance, to rear another queen to take her place. 

 They must have an egg not over five days old, from 

 which to rear a queen. The great necessity of close 

 observation, in order to keep each stock always 

 supplied with a healthy prolific queen, cannot be 

 impressed too strongly on the mind of every bee 

 keeper. Be sure not to neglect this very important 

 point in successful and profitable bee keeping. 



But verj' few seem to know the average duration 

 of life of the honey bee. The average term of life 



