228 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



empty frame with its two starters, brushing back into the hive 

 the bees from the comb taken out, and closing the hive. Look- 

 ing at the comb taken out, you will see that, instead of the old- 

 est brood being in the center, it will be in the two places where 

 the two starters were put. It was for this purpose the two 

 starteis at the sides Avere given rather than a central one. For 

 ])\ this means the waving coutour will give opportunity for a 

 larger number of qneen-eells on the edge of the comb than would 

 otherwise be the case. 



THIMMING THE BREEDING-COMB. 



For a little distance at the edge, the comb contains eggs 

 only. This )]art is trimmed away, leaving the youngest of the 

 brood at the edge of the comb (Fig. 89). One reason for this is 

 that, other things being equal, the bees show a decided prefer- 

 ence for building on the edge of a comb. Another reason is 

 that I decidedly prefer to liavc cells on the edge, thus making 

 them easier lo cut out when wanted. The part cut away would 

 only be in the way of both of us. 



BEES USING YOUNG LARVAE ONLY. 



When a queen is taken away from a full colony, the bees 

 start cells from young brood, and, as I have already said, they 

 continue to start fresh cells for se\cral days, and until aftei- 

 there is no longer brood of the proiier :,ge, so that the last cells 

 started would contain larva) too old to make good queens. But 

 on tliese combs prepared as I have described, tliey do not do so. 

 Rarely, if ever, Avill a cell be found elsewhere than on the edge 

 of the comb, and T have never known the bees to start a cell 

 after the larvse were too old. 1 du not know why there is this 

 difference. I only know the fact. But it is a very convenient 

 fact. 



AGE OF LARVAE FOR QUEENS. 



Scientists tell us that a worker-larva is fed for three days 

 the same as a queen-larva, and then it is weaned. Theoretically, 

 then, up to the time a larva in a worker-cell is three days old, 

 it ought to be all right to rear a queen from. Practically, I do 



