ami its Economic Management. 271 



Surplus Virgin Queens 



Will probably be pn hand, and where these cannot be 

 accommodated by breaking up other stocks, one-frame 

 nuclei must be made up provided with thorough ventila- 

 tion, and in which are to be placed a comb of stores and 

 some three or four hundred bees. These may be side 

 ■combs from nuclei already established, and should contain 

 no brood. 



After these confined bees have been in an uproar for a 

 short time, having already made provision for a small 

 opening, allow the young queen to run in. Keep these 

 in a dark room, and use as needed in outside nuclei. 



It has been observed that a young queen feeds upon 

 pollen extensively until she has met the drone, from 

 which time she is fed by the bees entirely upon digested 

 food. Now, just here, though it may be a repetition, I 

 wish to show the 



Folly of keeping: Young Queens confined 



in the toy frame nurseries for a number of days after hatch- 

 ing, as is done extensively, especially in several American 

 queen-raising apiaries. 



Without the nitrogenous food at this time, when their 

 constitutions should be established, they are dragging out 

 "their existence upon sugar alone at the most important 

 period of their growth. The editor of the American Bee 

 yo«/-«rt/ has repeatedly given his voice against the die. ip 

 queen traffic, and is it any wonder when they are produced 

 wholesale with their marvellous powers thus impaired ? 



The confined one-frame nucleus certainly take; up 

 more space and time, but both are amply paid for by get- 

 ting more substantial stock, while queens being able to 

 feed naturally will get mated sooner than those \vith a 

 weakened constitution. 



