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 larve 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 otherscan 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 al] 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 flight,” 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 often the case that the bee-keeper has as 
