§ VII.] QUEEN-REARING. 245 



from escaping ; for she will have the same jealous feeling 

 towards her sister princesses, should there be more in the 

 hive. The bee-master may thus carefully remove and 

 appropriate her. 



Particular attention will have to be exercised to affix 

 the cage into the comb by pressure, as far as the middle 

 wall, but at no point must it touch the royal cell itself. 

 As the cage will probably project so as to touch the 

 adjoining comb, a little incision and removal of a por- 

 tion may be necessary to allow space for it. 



This covering need not be put over the cell until the 

 egg is a little more than a week old. The apimosity of 

 the reigning queen does not generally manifest itself 

 until the royal brood approaches maturity. These cells 

 are unmolested on the tenth day, but on the eleventh 

 day they may be found tenantless. Notwithstanding the 

 apiarian's care and skill, many disappointments are 

 frequently experienced in endeavouring to establish 

 fertile young queens at the head of colonies. 



Hives found to be queenless may be supplied either 

 with matured queens or with queen cells. If the latter' 

 are sufficiently numerous, their introduction may easily 

 be effected by exchanging a comb in each hive ; if they 

 have to be cut out and placed loosely in the new hive, a 

 triangular piece of comb should then be removed with 

 them, to be used as a block in preventing any pressure 

 coming on them. A space must be cut out of the 

 middle in the centre combs of the hive into which they 



