24 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



sealed brood shortly before or soon after the queen is introduced, they 

 not infrequently destroy her in a few days or a week, or fail to properly 

 feed the young. As a rule a colony containing laying workers is of 

 too little value to try to save and should be united viith some normal 

 colony. 



CLIPPING QUEENS. 



For the convenience of the beekeeper at swarming time all queens 

 should have their wings clipped. As the queens use their wings in 

 helping themselves out of cells after laying it is not wise to cut both 

 pairs of wings. It will be found sufficient and best to snip only the 

 tips from the wings of one side. The queen may be able to fly a 

 \-cry little, but not enough to enable her to go far or to rise to some 

 inaccessible limb with the swarm. 



HANDLING BEES. 



Bees are more easily handled in the forenoon than later. At such 

 times most of the field bees are out and the young bees in the hive 

 are not as troublesome as the older or field bees. Very young bees, 

 however, do sometimes have a faculty for running wildl)' over the 

 combs, j)articularly when the older bees are present only in small 

 numbers. This action often bothers a novice when he is trying to 

 find a queen. 



USING THE SMOKER. 



Oftentimes no smoke is necessary in handling bees, but it is a good 

 rule never to open a hive without having a good supply of smoke 

 available. Most anj^thing which will burn will do for fuel in the 

 smoker, but on most farms old burlap bagging which has been lying 

 around in the open until it has begun to decay is available in abun- 

 dance and makes ideal fuel. New or unrotted burlap does not kindle 

 or burn at all well. Chips, partlj^ decayed wood, cotton waste or 

 rags, or any similar substance, will do. Some beekeepers always 

 begin with a puff of smoke at the entrance, others never use it there, 

 and results seem to favor the latter. After starting the cover loose. 



