178 Clip the Queen's Wing. 



of the human leg or arm would enfeeble the constitutioa, as 

 it would cut off the supply of blood. 



Many of our best apiarists have practiced this clipping of 

 the queen's wings for years. Yet, these queens show no dimi- 

 nution of vigor ; we should suppose they would be even more 

 vigorous, as useless organs are always nourished at the expense 

 of the organism, and if entirely useless, are seldom long con- 

 tinued by nature. The ants set us an example in this matter, 

 as they bite the wings off their queens, after mating has tran- 

 spired. They mean that the queen ant shall remain at home, 

 nolens volens, and why shall not we require the same of the 

 queen bee ? Were it not for the necessity of swarming in na- 

 ture, we should doubtless have been anticipated in this matter 

 by nature herself. 



Some of our first apiarists think that queens with wings 

 clipped are not as acceptable to the other bees. I have now 

 had experience for ten years in this practice, and have yet to 

 see the first indication that the above is true. Still, if the 

 queen essays to go with the swarm, and if the apiarist is not 

 at hand, she will sometimes be lost, never regaining the hive ; 

 but in this case the bees will be saved, as they will return with- 

 out fail. I always mean to be so watchful, keeping my hives 

 (shaded, giving ample room, and dividing or increasing, as to 

 prevent natural swarming. Sometimes, however, with the 

 closest vigilance swarms will issue ; then we may save much 

 labor and vexation if we have the wing of the queen clipped. 



Some apiarists clip one primary wing the first year, the sec- 

 ondary the second year, the other primary the third, and if 

 age of the queen permits, the remaining wing the fourth year. 

 Yet, such data, with other matters of interest and importance, 

 better be kept on a slate or card, and firmly attached to 

 the hive, or else kept in a record opposite the number of the 

 hive. The time required to find the queen is sufiicient argu- 

 ment against the ' ' queen-wing record. " It is not an argu- 

 ment against the once clipping of the queen's wings, for, in 

 the nucleus hives, queens are readily found, and even in fuU 

 colonies this is not very difiicult, especially if we heed the dic- 

 tates of interest and keep Italians. It will be best, even 

 though we have to look up black queens, in full colonies. 

 The loss of one good colony, or the vexatious trouble of sep- 

 arating two or three swarms which had clustered together, or 



