62 Bee-keeping for Beginners. 



after the third year, some say after the second year. 

 No doubt a queen bee is in its prim^ in its second year. 

 Personally, I prefer queens raised under the swarming 

 impulse, as superior to all others ; but if swarming is 

 prevented, as it is largely done now, queens must be 

 raised to keep up the supply. In early spring go to 

 your strongest and best stock, and commence stimula- 

 tive feeding. This is the hive in which to breed queens, 

 and should be furnished with worker comb only, so as 

 to prevent drones being raised. It is best to have the 

 drones from one hive and the queens from another. 

 Then go to the next best hive, and commence stimula- 

 tive feeding, and put drone comb in this one when the 

 hive is strong enough, after which, feed more rapidly. 

 This will induce the early breeding of drones. As 

 soon as the drones are found to be hatching out, go to 

 the other hive and place the best worker comb in the 

 centre of the brood nest. The queen will at once lay 

 eggs in this comb. Let her do so for about three days, 

 and then remove her elsewhere. Combs containing 

 unsealed larvae can also be removed to other colonies, 

 as it is better that the queen.s should be raised direct 

 from the eggs. They will thus be fed longer from the 

 royal jelly, and will be stronger. As soon as all this 

 is done, the bees will commence to make queen cells. 

 You can have these cells almost where you like, but 

 the edges of the comb will be found the most con- 

 venient. Take a piece of wood shaped like a cone 

 and press it into a cell, making it a little larger, and 



