22 PRACTICAL QUEEN REARING 



Fig. 1. Queen cells built under the swarming impulse. 



ing queens in the old lii\'e. It is usually but a short time until 

 the old one will disappear. As soon as the first virgin emerges 

 she will at once seek out any other queen cells which may be 

 present and destroy the occupants, unless prevented from 

 doing so by the workers, as is the case when there is preparation 

 for swarming. 



When swarming is in prospect several cells are usually 

 built, and the number may be twenty or more at the height 

 of the season. With some other races the number is much 

 greater than with the Italians. 



The beekeeper with a few colonies can sometimes supply 

 his needs by simply cutting out the surplus cells, built in antici- 

 pation of swarming, and using them to replace undesirable 

 queens, or in the making of increase. 



