QUEEN'S. 149 



becomes less prolific, until she is iour or five years old ; 

 but for the majority of queens this will not answer. I 

 shall not advise retaining queens longer than tliree years. 

 Several years ago I argued at one of our ' ' North-Eastern 

 Bee-Keeper's Conventions," that, where bees were kept 

 in the old way in a hive with a small brood-chamber, and 

 the queen was only required to deposit a limited number 

 of eggs, she might be expected to remain fruitful for a 

 longer term of years than under the present system of 

 management, where the motto is "a large force for a large 

 amount of work." For we now use every possible means 

 to secure the largest amount of brood, often trebling the 

 number of bees that would be reared in a small box-hive 

 with no care. 



The idea was almost, if not quite, unanimously re- 

 jected at that time, but later experience confirms me in 

 the opinion that queens will fail sooner under the present 

 system, than with the old methods. 



I consider then, that as a rule three years should be the 

 average limit of a queen's age, and many will become use- 

 less earlier. Ever have an eye to the queen, and if she 

 become deficient in any way, let her place be supplied 

 with a good one. Do not allow the bees to supersede her 

 themselves, which they might do to a disadvantage. 



DEONE-LATIITG QUEENS. 



Drone-laying queens are usually such, as from any 

 cause, are unable to meet the drone for impregnation. 

 Such queens will only produce drone progeny. They 

 often deposit their eggs in worker combs, but as the brood 

 approaches maturity, the cells will be extended about '/, 

 in. before being capped over, which gives the surface a 

 rough appearance, as such brood is always somewhat 

 scattered (fig. 64). It requires but little experience to 

 recognize these indications of an imperfect queen. 



