-22- 
rhile the queens are still recognizable as newly emerged, one wing is 
clipped to prevent flight and the thorax is mariced with a spot of color. 
A lacquer called Libralao mixed with the desired pigment is suitable as 
a marking fluid. A solution of celluloid in acetone is also a satisfac- 
tory vehicle for the pigaent* 
The queen is taken directly from the nucleus and returned immediately 
after insemination, while she is still completely motionless from the effect 
of carbon dioxide. TShen she is in this condition, the bees are less likely 
to ball her than if she is active. In warm weather she is dropped into 
the nucleus, but in cool weather she is left in the cage in which she is 
transported. The cage is opened and slipped between the top bars of the 
frames* 
REARING AND CARE OF DRONES 
It is not always easy to obtain large numbers of drones of the 
desired parentage. During the spring they can usually be obtained in 
abimdanoe from any queen, because they are naturally produced at this sea- 
son, but later in the year it is sometimes almost impossible to obtain 
any drones at all from some queens. Sometimes, even though the queen will 
lay in drone comb, the workers refuse to rear larvae to loaturity, "hen a 
heavy flow is on, the drone comb is filled with fresh nectar so that the 
queen does not have a chance to lay drone eggs. 
Drones are most likely to be obtained out of season if conditions 
similar to those existing during the swarming season are created. Pollen 
and sugar sirup can be fed if necessary, and a crowded condition created 
either by adding bees and brood or by reducing the size of the hive, 
^'■hen the nectar flow is heavy, empty combs can be provided to help keep 
the drone comb clear. If drone combs are extracted gently, the thin nec- 
tar can be removed without destroying eggs and young larvae that might be 
present in some of the cells. 
A sure way to obtain drones is to rear them from drone-laying queens, 
which can be produced by treating virgin queens Ydth carbon dioxide, as 
already described. These virgins would, of course, be daughters of the 
selected breeler queen. 
The following routine has been used successfully for a number of years 
to rear and maintain large numbers of drones of controlled parentage in 
yellow strains I 
A five-frame nucleus is used as a drone-rearing colony. It is made 
up with three combs of brood from black selected Caucasian stock, a comb 
of honey, and a drone comb, which is placed in the middle of the nucleus. 
Extra pollen is provided by sprinkling dry pollen pellets into the combs 
and spraying with water. The yellow breeder queen is introduced with a 
push-in cage and released 2 or 3 days later, depending on how well she is 
accepted. The nucleus is stocked with 3 l/2 pounds of black bees added 
from a screen cage which covers the top of the nucleus hive. They are 
forced to go through an excluder, which sifts out drones as they leave 
the cage. The bees are kept confined for 2 days. Pollen is added occa- 
sionally, and the nucleus is sometimes fed very lightly to help stimulate 
the queen. 
