THE QUEEN. 63 



145. The preference of the queen for worker-cells can 

 not be disputed. If all the drone-combs are removed from a 

 hive and replaced with worker-combs, she will not show any 

 displeasure. She will live in that hive for years, without 

 laying any drone-eggs, except, perhaps, here and there, in 

 odd-shaped junction-cells. Mr. A. I. Root makes the same 

 remark : 



"By having a hive furnished entirely with worker-comb, we 

 can so nearly prevent the production of cl rones, that it is safe 

 enough to call it a complete remedy." — ("A B C of Bee Cul- 

 ture," 1883.) 



146. If, on the other hand, we furnish a swarm with 

 nothing but drone-comb, already built, they would soon leave 

 the hive. But, if a few worker-cells are among the drone- 

 cells, the queen will find them and will lay in them. On this 

 subject, Mr. Root says: 



147. "Bees sometimes rear worker-brood in drone-comb 

 when compelled to from want of room, and they always do it 

 by contracting the mouth of the cells, and leaving the young 

 bee a rather large berth in which to grow and develop." "If 

 you give a young laying queen a hive supplied only with drone- 

 combs, she will rear worker-brood in these drone-cells. The 

 mouth of the cells will be contracted with wax as mentioned 

 before." 



148. An experiment, made in Bordeaux, under the su- 

 pervision of Mr. Drory, editor of the "Bueher," has proven 

 that the queen may lay worker-eggs in drone-cells. A piece 

 of drone-comb containing worker-broody was sent us by him. 

 The eggs were laid irregularly and the mouth of the cells had 

 been contracted, as mentioned by Mr. Root. This contraction 

 of the cell mouth seems indispensable to enable the queen to 

 put in motion the muscles of her spermatheea. 



149. We will add, with Mr. Root, that in the Spring, or 

 late in the Fall, when the crop is not abundant, the queen 

 will travel over drone-combs without depositing a single egg 

 in them. Even by feeding the colony, when in these con- 



