FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 107 



1 can count that the bees will continue this arrangement, only 

 in some cases there will be brood found in the outside frame. 

 So in any examination after the first, I commence at the near 

 side ; and when I come to the first frame of brood, I need go no 

 further, for I know that the brood-nest wiU occupy all the rest 

 of the combs except the outside one. If they have not plenty 

 of feed, of course it can be given, although it may not often be 

 necessary to give stores the second time, for in this locality they 

 can get good supplies from fruit-bloom. I suppose they can 

 forage upon 10,000 fruit-trees without going a mile. 



If, however, the first frame of brood I come to contains 

 only sealed brood, I must look further to see whether they 

 have eggs or very young brood, for it is possible they may have 

 become queenless. If eggs are plentiful, but no unsealed brood, 

 I know that they have a young queen which has commenced 

 laying, and I must find her and clip her wings. 



If there is nothing but sealed brood, and no eggs, I am not 

 sure whether they have a queen or not, and it is not safe to give 

 them one till I do know, so I give them, from another colony, a 

 comb containing eggs and young brood. I make a record of 

 giving them this young brood thus: " May 20, no eg gybr," (no 

 eggs; gave young brood), and in perhaps a week I look to see 

 in what condition they are. If I find queen-cells started I am 

 pretty sure they have no queen. 



QUEENLESS COLONIES. 



What shall be done in that case depends. If the colony is 

 weak, it is at once broken up, brood and bees being given wher- 

 ever they may be needed, and I heave a sigh of relief to think I 

 am rid of the weakling. If it is strong — an accident may have 

 happened to the queen of a strong colony at the last overhaul- 

 ing — it may be broken up and the brood and bees distributed 

 where they will do the most good, but more likely a r weaker 

 colony with a good queen will be united with it. Just possibly, 

 the queen-cells started may be allowed to go on to completion. 



BROOD AS A STIMULANT. 



If it happened that they had a virgin queen when the 

 young brood was given them, the presence of this brood is sup- 



