DE-QUEENING DURING THE HONEY FLOW 159 
from which it is desired to get cells for making increase or similar 
purposes. The colony being queenless will at once build sev- 
eral cells in order to provide another. Some system of marking 
is used to note the condition of the colony. Nine or ten days 
later a second trip is made through the yard, to cut out all queen 
cells but one in each hive. At this second visit all cells found 
in the colonies marked as A. No. 1, will be saved. Only one will 
be left to insure a queen and the others will be placed in the 
hives which have markings showing that they are not up to the 
standard. All poorer or surplus cells are destroyed. 
An accident to a cell or to the new queen on her mating trip 
would leave the colony hopelessly queenless, as there will no 
longer be eggs or young larvw in the hives. To provide against 
such contingencies a number of nuclei are started and provided 
with cells to insure a sufficient number of extra queens to supply 
the colonies whose queens are not successfully mated. A third 
examination will be necessary after the elapse of a similar period 
to ascertain whether queens are present and to supply those 
colonies where failure has resulted. 
It will sometimes be necessary to cut cells from a part of the 
colonies in advance of the time of this wholesale de-queening, 
or as only a small number of swarms will issue they may be hived 
in the usual manner. This method, while somewhat drastic, 
has the desired effect and perhaps comes as near controlling 
swarming as any other. In the discussion that followed the 
presentation of the plan by F. W. Hall at the Iowa Bee-keeper’s 
Convention there was serious objection to it on the part of some 
very successful apiarists. It is contended with good reason that 
many valuable queens will thus be destroyed and that one year 
is not long enough to give a queen an opportunity to show her 
good points. Those who follow the method, it will be noticed, 
make exceptions of those queens which are especially promising 
and retain them as breeders. While there are some extensive 
bee-keepers who will find the method suited to’ their require 
