LOSS OF QUEENS. 243 



THE aUKEN LIABLE TO BE LOST IN HER BXOUBSIONS. 



This excursion of the qdeen, whenever I have wit- 

 nessed it, always took place a little iafter the middle of 

 the day, when the drones were but in the greatest num- 

 hers. At such times I have seen them leave' amid 

 raither more commotion than lisual among the workers. 

 I have watched their return, which varied from three 

 minutes to half an hour, and seen them hover around 

 their own hive, apparently in doubt whether they be- 

 longed in that; or the next ; in a few instances they 

 have actually settled on the neighboring hive, a!nd 

 would have there perished, but for my assistance in 

 putting them right. 



THE TIME WHEN IT OCCURS. 



; ! Thus we see that queens are lost on these occasions 

 from some cause, and part of them by entering the 

 ijifJroQg hive, perhaps, most of them ; if so^ it is another 

 good '■ reason for not packing stocks ■ tod' close. The 

 ■hives are very often nearly alike in color and appear- 

 ance. The qiieeil coming but for the first time in her 

 life, is no doubt confused by this similarity.' 



'The number of such losses in a season has varied: 

 one year the average was one in nine, another it was 

 one in thirteen, and another one in twenty. The time 

 from the first swarm also varies 'from twelve to twenty 

 'days; The inexperienced reader should not forget 

 that it is the" old stocks which have cast swarms, 

 where these accidents happen ; the old qiieen having 

 left with the first swarm. Also all after swarms are 

 liable to the same loss. I would suggest that these 



