284 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



combs unfit for the rearing of workers. By the use of my 

 movable comb hives, all these operations can be easily per- 

 formed. If any hives have lost their young queen, they 

 may be supplied, either with the means of raising another, 

 or with sealed queens from other hives, or, (if the plan is 

 found to answer,) with mature ones from the " Nursery." 



As a matter of precaution, I generally give to all my 

 stocks that are raising young queens, or which have unira- 

 pregnated ones, a range of comb containing brood and eggs, 

 so that they may, in case of any accident . to their queen, 

 proceed at once, to supply their loss. In this way, I pre- 

 vent them from being so dissatisfied as to leave the hive. 



About a week after the young queens have hatched, I ex- 

 amine all the hives which contain them, lifting out usually, 

 some of the largest combs, and those which ought to con- 

 tain brood. If I find a comb which has eggs or larvse, I am 

 satisfied that they have a fertile queen, and shut up the hive ; 

 unless I wish to find her, in order to deprive her of her 

 wings, (see p. 203.) I can thus often satisfy myself in one 

 or two minutes. If no brood is found, I suspect that the 

 queen has been lost, or that she has some defect which has 

 prevented her from leaving the hive. If the brood-comb 

 which I put into the hive, contains any newly-formed royal 

 cells, I know, without any further examination, that the 

 queen has been lost. If the weather has been unfavorable, 

 or the colony is quite weak, the young queen is sometimes 

 not impregnated as early as usual, and an allowance of a 

 few days must be rnade on this account. If the weather is 

 favorable, and the colony a good one, the queen usually 

 leaves, the day after she finds herself mistress of a family. 

 In about two days more, she begins to lay her eggs. By 

 waiting about a week before the examination is made, am- 

 ple allowance, in most cases, is made. 



