The Honey Bee 



1399 



quent aerial excursions and attending all the wedding functions 

 that com. their way. 



In the spring of the year when a colony becomes populous from 

 the numerous hatching bees, they commence the raising of drones 

 preparatory to the swarming season. So long as the honey flow 

 lasts, they are not molested, but when a dearth comes at or before 

 the close of the season, the workers slaughter and expel them. 



Colonies which have become queenless suffer the drones to 

 remain, even after the advent of cold weather. Their presence 

 in the hive after their general slaughter in other colonies may be 

 taken as an evidence that something is wrong, and such colonies 

 should receive the attention of the apiarist at once. 



Except for the improvement of stock, when young queens are 

 being reared, a large number of drones should not be tolerated 

 in the apiary, and an ex- 

 cess of drone comb should 

 be removed from the 

 hives. Twenty square 

 inches per hive is an 

 abundance. 



When there is a surplus 

 of drones in the hive, or 

 when they are of undesir- 

 able stock, a drone trap 

 may be used at the 

 entrance to catch them in order that they may be destroyed. 



Fig. 57. Drone trap 



EACES OF BEES 



The black or brown German bee was the original race in this 

 country. The Italian race was imported in 1860, since which 

 time it has been widely disseminated. In later years the Car- 

 niolan, Cyprian, Holy land, Egyptian, Caucasian and Banat 

 races were imported and tried out. They were weighed in the 

 balance, and with the exception of the Italians, found wanting. 



Many of the good qualities of the Italian race have long been 

 recognized, and it is only a fitting climax that they should be and 



