104 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
their stores above them and make use of it as 
required. As the weather becomes warmer in 
early spring, the bees get active, clean and polish 
a number of cells near their stores and in the 
centre of their clustre. and the queen deposits an 
egg in each cell. Then, any dead bees or other 
matter that may have gathered in the hive are 
carried out. As the weather gets warmer, the 
bees prepare more cells for brood, but never to 
such an extent as to cause the brood to get chilled, 
should cold weather follow. The unreasonable 
or unexperienced bee-keeper often causes chilled 
brood by placing empty comb between the brood, 
to make them brfeed faster, but the bees will 
repair such meddling by removing at least all 
young and unsealed brood (larvae) before it is 
chilled, thus preventing the laying of the founda- 
tions of a destructive bee disease, and showing 
more sense than their “ sensible” keeper. Now 
young bees begin to hatch, the number increasing 
day by day, and more brood can be reared and 
kept warm. The fresh honey gathered from the 
early flowers, too, induces them to enlarge their 
broodnest, as the time requires. By this time 
their instinct, for natural increase (to swarm) 
awakes, to which end the drone-cells at hand are 
cleaned, and unfertilized eggs laid therein by the 
queen. Of these eggs drones arise, which are the 
male sex. Should no drone cells be in the hive, 
but room to build some, then that space is used 
for this purpose. The hive is now getting crowded 
with bees, and brood is in nearly every cell, in 
some is honey. They become aware that they 
and those that will hatch will not have room 
enough in their home together, so they start 
forming queen-cells, into which the queen lays 
her eggs, which, by the way, are of the same 
nature as those laid for bees in worker cells. From 
now the queen lays less eggs each day ; she 
understands that to remain much longer in this 
hive is not safe to herself, as young queens will 
soon hatch : and after about eight days from lay- 
ing the eggs for the young queens, she and about 
half the number of bees leave their old home to 
start and form a new' colony. (We will leave 
them with the keeper in the hope he was watch- 
ful enough to have noticed their joyful music and 
parade in the garden, and will take good care of 
them). For the time being the parent hive is 
without a queen, but no such uneasiness is shown 
by the remaining occupants as is usual when they 
lose theii queen accidentally. It is known to 
them that another majesty will soon hatch, which 
is the case within a few days or a week. But she 
must be impregnated by a drone before she can 
fulfil her duty as mother ; and lo ! we find that 
drones have been hatching for days past, and are 
flying about too eager to meet with a queen. In 
warm weather between 12 and 5 p.m., the queen 
will leave her home, and, in whatever direction 
she may fly, she is certain to meet with a drone if 
she chooses, and if successful connection took 
place, she is enabled to begin her designed duty 
and lay hundreds of thousands of eggs during her 
lifetime, which lasts about three years, and she 
has connection with a drone only once in her life ; 
while her lover has to pay with his life his eager- 
ness to do his duty. After the act is fulfilled he 
drops dead on the spot. The drones have no 
other usefulness hut to fertilise young queens, and 
if they have done that their design is accomplished. 
About two days after her successful marriage 
flight the queen commences to lay eggs, and soon 
almost all cells are full of brood again. But the 
season is far advanced. Therefore, from now 
they gradually decrease their brood and store 
honey in these cells to have it for the time of 
need. 
Not every season is so favourable for the bees. 
In a bad season we find quite a different regulation. 
They do not rear brood to such an extent as to 
overcrowd the hive, and use the last drop of honey 
for it. They rear few or no drones ; they have 
no desire to swarm, therefore no need of queen 
cells. Or, if the time was favourable shortly 
before swarming, but suddenly changes to bad, 
then they will give up swarming, destroy the 
queen cells, even the drones and drone brood, 
well knowing that under such circumstance the 
new colony, if formed, could not exist. Should 
Flora soon spend her nectar again, another 
attempt to swarm is most likely the result ; but 
if it remains dull for a longer period, swarming is 
given up for that season. In a very good honey 
season the bees are not much inclined to swarm 
either, at least not the pure Italian bees, which 
are most desirous to store honey. The conse- 
quence is that soon the most cells are filled with 
honey, and not room enough is left for breeding 
to such an extent as to overcrowd the hive ; no 
occasion for swarming arises. During the summer 
months there are from about 20,000 to 50,000 
bees in one single hive. All know each other 
and their queen. Should a bee from one hive 
attempt to enter into another, perhaps with the 
object of robbing, etc., it would he recognised as 
an intruder, and be treated accordingly. Their 
entrance is guarded against strangers ; they desire 
a quiet home, and they defend it, for w’hich pur- 
pose nature has provided them with a poisonous 
weapon, the sting. Nevertheless, they allow 
themselves to be handled and be deprived of their 
surplus stores by the Bee-master, who knows 
their habits, has studied their nature, and treats 
them accordingly, without making use of their 
sting. Especially the beautifully yellow-banded 
Italians deserve the palm for their gentleness. 
Is there a more interesting study than the study 
of bees’ life? Is any insect more profitable to 
its master than the bees? Is sense denied when 
in every particular of their life we find forethought, 
consideration, and reflection? 
VV. Abram, Manager. 
Italian Bee Company, Parramata. 
INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 
Those desirous of practising the direct intro- 
duction of ciueens may do so by the following 
methods : — Having repeatedly united colonies 
by alternating the combs of the respective hives 
wi 1 liout the use of peppermint or other scented 
