26o A Modern Bee-Farm 



tained at a swarming condition ; and then he is to guard 

 against the destruction of the surplus queens. 



The Plan often Recommended 



of simply removing the queen from a colony in normal 

 condition and then inducing the bees to start queen cells 

 where desired by enlarging the mouth of worker cells, is 

 really more simple than practical. In the first plac^, one 

 cell only is never large enough to form the base of a 

 queen cell ; two at least are thrown into one, but more 

 often three ; and where the bees have unlimited material 

 at hand a queen cell will not be built upon one in fifty of 

 such enlarged cells. I have had the proof of this assertion 

 in my own apiary, and where Ligurians are concerned very 

 often only two or three cells are started, 



fly own Plans 



vary according to the condition of the hi\e under treat- 

 ment and the season of the year. Thus, early and late 

 in the season it is better to provide, or leave part of a 

 comb in the frame, upon which to attach the cells contain- 

 ing the selected larv.t for queen-rearing. During settled 

 bee-weather, the plain bars across the frame may be used 

 for the purpose, or my bars with cell-cups or pegs 

 attached, for greater convenience. 



My riethods of Preparing Stocks 



for queen rearing consist, early in the year, of removing 

 the queen one day, and next day shaking off all the bees 

 from the combs of brood, which latter are then removed, 

 and the prepared comb of selected eggs inserted. 



By the time the prepared comb is ready the broodless 

 and queenless bees will have found out their loss, and 

 being greatly excited are in the best condition possible 



