FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 183 



frightened because of their spell of queeiilessness, and want to 

 provide against its happening again. At any rate, when these 

 cells are killed they are not replaced. Possibly the bees would 

 destroy them themselves after finding that the queen was settled 

 to work. 



Some think it best, when a queen arrives at a certain age, 

 to replace her with a young queen. It is held by some that a 

 queen does her best work in her first year, and that no queen 

 should be allowed to do a second year's work, because there will 

 always be a gain by replacing her with a younger queen. Some 

 of the men that hold such views, and practice accordingly, are 

 such successful beekeepers that I dare not say they are wrong. 

 Whether it be a difference in bees, in locality, management, or 

 what not, I do not believe that such pratice would be best for 

 me. 



I am prettj' sure that many of my queens do as good work 

 in the second as in the first year, possibly better. But it is not 

 altogether a question as to whether a queen does as well or 

 better in her second year, comparing it with the flrsl. The 

 question is rather as to what she will do in her second or third 

 year as compared with what would be done by the average 

 young queen that would replace her. However it may be else- 

 where, the rule with my bees is that a queen which distinguishes 

 herself by a good crop of honey in her first year, will keep 

 above the average as long as she lives. And I can count on the 

 bees superseding her at the close of harvest whenever she 

 reaches an age when it -viould seem profitable for me to replace 

 her with' a yonng'er queen. 



Another thing may be worth considering. It is claimed, 

 and with some show of reason, that longevity in bees is an 

 important factor. One colony will be stronger in bees and 

 brood than another beside it, while the latter will store more 

 honey. The explanation given is that the bees in the second 

 colony are longer lived. It may not be unreasonable to suppose 

 that if one has a strain of bees with queens which live to an 

 unusual age, that the workers will also live to unusual ase. So 

 it may be the part of wisdom to encourage those queens which 

 show a disposition to live beyond the usual span. 



