REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS. 95 



to the miniature hive, the same as an ordinary 

 swarm hived in the usual way. They will rear 

 queens from the eggs given them by constructing 

 queen cells, so arranged as to takein one of the 

 eggs in the piece of conjb furnished them, often 

 constructing three or more cells. In about six days, 

 open the miniature hive, and you will find these 

 cells nearly or quite finished. Occasionally a case 

 occurs where they do not rear queens when thus 

 furnished with the means, but such cases are rare. 

 If you find each one made separate, you can, if ygu 

 choose, with a sharp, thin knife cut out all the cells 

 but one, and give them to other rearing boxes not 

 supplied with eggs, or which have failed to rear 

 queens from the eggs furnished them. If you leave 

 all the cells in the miniature hive as constructed, 

 the first queen that hatches will destroy all the 

 others. She will visit each cell, gnaw an opening 

 in the side, curve her abdomen and insert her sting 

 into the opening, and sting the rival queen to death 

 while yet in her cradle. The worker bees will then 

 enlarge the opening, and drag out the lifeless body. 

 The victorious queen now reigns over the little 

 colony, the same as in a large and natural swarm. 



In from three to five days after hatching if the 

 w^eather is fine, the young queen will leave the 

 miniature hive, and take a flight in the open air, to 

 meet the drone for the purpose of fecundation. If 

 successful, she will commence to lay in about two 

 days. She may then be introduced to a full stock 

 at any time desired. Recollect it will be useless to 

 rear queens where there are no drones. 



