294 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 



festing their agony and despair. I once removed the queen 

 of a small colony, so as to cause the bees- to take wing and 

 fill the air, in search of her. She was returned in a few 

 miwutes, and yet, on examining the colony, two days after, I 

 found that they had begun to build royal cells, in order to 

 raise another ! The queen was unhurt, and the cells were 

 not tenanted. Was this work begun by some that refused 

 for a long time to believe the others, when told that she was 

 safe .'' Or was it begun from the apprehension that she 

 might again be removed ? 



Every colony which has a new qaeen, should be watched, 

 in order that the Apiarian may be seasonably apprised of 

 her loss. The restless conduct of the bees, on the evening 

 of the day that she fails to return, will inform the experi- 

 enced bee-master of the accident which has befallen his hive. 

 Arc old stock which cannot be supplied with another queen, 

 or with the means of raising one, must be broken up, and 

 the bees added to another colony : a new swarm must al- 

 ways be broken up, unless it can be supplied with a queen 

 nearly mature, or else they will build combs unfit for the 

 rearing of workers. If ihe new colony is large, it will be 

 better, instead of breaking it up, to give it a queen from 

 some old stock which can easily raise another. By the use 

 of movable-comb hives, all these operations may be easily 

 performed. If any hive has lost its young queen, it can be 

 supplied, either with the means of raising another, or with a 

 sealed or mature queen from other hives. 



It is a very singular fact, that while a swarm which has- 

 no mature queen, builds only drone comb, a swarm possess- 

 ing a young queen which has not yet become impregnated, 

 will still, for some time continue to build worker cells. Often 

 after the hiving of an after-swarm, the weather for some 

 days, proves unpropitious for the flight of the drones, and in 



