FIFTY TEARS AMONG THE BEES 237 



empty frame with its two starters, brushing back into the hive 

 the bees from the comb taken out, and closing the hive. Look- 

 ing at the comb taken out, you will see that, instead of the old- 

 est brood being in the center, it will be in two places where 

 the two starters were put. It was for this purpose the two 

 starters at the sides were given rather than a central one. For 

 by this means the waving contour will give opportunity for a 

 larger number of queen-cells on the edge of the comb than 

 ^>"ould otherwise be the case. 



TRIMMING THE BREEDING-COMB. 



Tor a little distance at the edge, the comb contains eggs 

 only. This part is trimmed away, leaving the youngest of the 

 brood at the edge of the comb (Fig. 89). One reason for this 

 is that, other things being equal, the bees show a decided pref- 

 erence for building on the edge of a comb. Another reason is 

 that I decidedly prefer to have cells on the edge, thus making 

 them easier to cut out when wanted. The part cut away would 

 only be in the way of both of us. 



BEES USING YOUNG LARVAE ONLY. 



When a queen is taken away from a full colony, the bees 

 start cells from young brood, and, as I have already said, they 

 continue to start fresh cells for several days, and until after 

 there is no longer brood of the proper age, so that the last cell? 

 started would contain larvsB too old to make good queens. But 

 on these combs prepared as I have described, they do not do 

 so. Earely, if ever, will a cell be found elsewhere than on the 

 edge of the comb, and I have never known the bees to start a 

 cell after the larvse were too old. I do not know why there is 

 this difference. I know only the fact. But it is a very con- 

 venient fact. 



AGE OP LARVAE EOE QUEENS. 



Scientists tell us that a worker larva is fed for three days 

 the same as a queen larva, and then it is weaned. Theoretically, 

 then, up to the time a larva in a worker-cell is three days old, 

 it ought to be all right to rear a queen from. Practically, I 

 do not believe a larva three days old is as good as a younger 



