31 



same by being restless, easily provoked, walking around the entrance 

 listless and witliout eagerness, and few leaving in search of nectar or 

 pollen. 



No time should be lost in providing the queenless colony with a 

 comb of eggs and young larvae from which to rear a queen. If an 

 extra queen is at hand it is better to introduce her at once for prac- 

 tically three Weeks work will be gained. 



After a colony has been queenless for sometime a worker which is 

 an undeveloped 'female may be suflBciently sexually developed to lay 

 eggs. The laying worker deposits eggs in a very irregular manner some- 

 times two or more eggs to a cell. All bees developing from these 

 eggs are drones as the worker is incapable of meeting a drone and 

 becoming fertilized. If laying workers or a drone laying queen are 

 present, the most effective way to dispose of them is to break up the 

 colony and distribute it among strong colonies having fertile queens. 



UNITING. 



When a colony becomes queenless in late fall or early spring it is 

 more profitable to unite it with another weak colony with a queen or 

 with a normal colony to save the bees. In uniting colonies each 

 should be smoked vigorously. Another method is to place the weak 

 colony on top of the normal colony with a sheet of newspaper between 

 them. The bees gradually work holes through this and unite without 

 any trouble. ^ 



TRANSFERRING. 



There are many bees in this state hived in box hives or log gums. 

 Keeping bees under such conditions is unprofitable and should be 

 discouraged. The colonies should be transferred as soon as possible 

 into movable frame hives. The best time for this is during the 

 season of fruit bloom. At this season the hives are not over run 

 with bees and are light of honey. Select a day when the bees are at 

 work on the bloom as this lessens the danger of robbing. There are 

 a number of plans that the operator may choose. 



One method is to remove the box hive a short distance from its 

 stand and in its stead place a hive with movable frames containing 

 full sheets of foundation. Turn the box hive upsidedown and place 

 a small empty box inverted over it. By pounding or drumming on 

 the box for several minutes the bees will become frightened and 

 desert their combs and cluster in the empty box. The bees may then 

 be dumped in front of the entrance of the new hive placed on the 

 old stand. It is essential to watch in order to see the queen enter 

 the hive. In case she has not left the old combs repeat the operation 

 until she is found and seen to enter the hive. It is necessary that 

 the queen be in the hive to be successful in the operation. The box 

 hive«containing the brood should be placed right side up and in a new 

 location. In 21 days the worker brood will have emerged and very 

 probably a new queen will have been reared. Repeat the operation in 

 drumming and unite the young bees with their former hive mates, first 



