BEE MANUAL. 205 



is, all the queen cells but one, and only allow this one to come 

 to maturity in the hive, there cannot be any after-swarm, as 

 this queen will be required in the hive. It would not, however, 

 be correct to remove the cells immediately after the first swarm 

 leaves, as will be presently shown. The old queen would be 

 laying up to within a very short time of her leaving the hive ; 

 consequently there would be eggs in the cells at that time. 

 Supposing the queen cells to be cut out during the first day or 

 two after, the bees would be almost sure to build others, and 

 thus frustrate our plans ; but if we let them remain for about 

 five days before we remove them, the larvae would have grown 

 large by that time, and there would be little likelihood of other 

 cells being started. Choice of a good cell should be made for 

 the one that is to remain in the hive, and the others' can be 

 utilized in forming nuclei. (See Queen-rearing.) 



SUPPLYING THE OLD STOCK WITH A FERTILE QUEEN. 



There is another method by which we may both prevent 

 after-swarms and the delay caused by waiting for the young 

 queen to emerge and commence laying, which takes up a con- 

 siderable time. If we allow eight days for the queen to emerge, 

 we may add another five before she shall be impregnated, and 

 six more before she commences to lay, making nineteen days 

 in all that the hive will have been practically queenless. By 

 rearing and keeping on hand a supply of young queens for the 

 purpose, we may prevent the loss of the greater part of this 

 time by cutting out all the queen cells and supplying the stock 

 with a fertile queen at once, making use of the cells as previously 

 advised. By this plan we can gain at least sixteen or seventeen 

 days, which with a young and vigorous queen would mean pro- 

 bably over 30,000 eggs, that is provided she has facilities for 

 depositing them. Another advantage, there is no risk of the 

 hive becoming queenless by the loss of the young queen during 

 her " wedding Wight," as often occurs. On no account should 

 the bees be overcrowded for want of room. 



PREVENTING INCREASE OF COLONIES. 



This is a question of the best method for dealing with swarms 

 so as to prevent as far as possible an increase in the number 

 of colonies. It is t often the case that the bee-keeper has as 



