10 RePOBT of MaBTLAND AOEICUI-TtrBAL SOCIETT 



it was decided to make observations on the two colonies at Somerset and 

 other colonies with partial-drone-laying queens as opportunity availed. 

 The observations reported below were made on the two colonies mentioned, 

 supplemented by observations on colonies with partial-drone-laying queens 

 that had been shipped in mailing cages and samples from such colonies 

 sent in by beekeepers for diagnosis. 



The two colonies were of Italian stock but some of the worker bees in 

 one colony were darker colored than is usual for pure Italians. Both 

 queens appeared to be young and vigorous. In their general appearance, 

 jictions, and the position and regularity of their eggs in the cells, they 

 resembled normal fertile queens. They were fairly prolific layers and 

 during most of the season layed in the combs of two standard hive bodies. 

 When the queens were first found their brood showed a typical concentric 

 arrangement. Irregularity of the brood gradually increased but appeared 

 to be caused largely by the difference in the time of development of the 

 workers and drones and by the death of part of the drone brood. At first 

 less than 10 per cent, of the brood consisted of drones but the proportion 

 of drones gradually increased. In September about 50 per cent of the 

 brood in one colony and about 75 per cent, in the other consisted of drones. 



The workers seemed to accept both queens as normal young queens. 

 Supersedure either was not attempted or was unsuccessful, since the 

 queens remained in the colonies and no queen cells were observed during 

 the season. Colonies with partial-drone-laying queens that had been 

 shipped in mailing cages have also been observed in which supersedure 

 was not being attempted. 



In April both worker and drone brood appeared healthy and drones and 

 workers were observed emerging from worker cells. In May a few drone 

 larvae died before they were capped. Thereafter the death rate among 

 the drone larvae gradually increased and dead drone pupae were also found 

 A few dead larvae were found in cells with nearly flat cappings but owing 

 to the advanced slate of decay their sex could not be determined. It seems 

 probable that they were drones. The dead brood resembled that of laying 

 workers and drone-laying queens and showed the same wide variation 

 in symptoms. Some of the dead larvae resembled larvae killed by the 

 brood diseases. American foulbrood could be eliminated in the apiary by 

 the consistency and odor when the appearance of the dead brood resembled 

 that of American foulbrood. Microscopical examination was necessary to 

 distinguish some of the dead larvae from larvae killed by European foul- 

 brood. 



By the first week of August the two colonies under observation were 

 noticeably weakened. The bees still occupied the combs of two standard 

 hive bodies but were less crowded on the combs than in case of other 

 colonies in the apiary with normal queens that had been of about equal 



