RAISING AND INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 291 
taken. It is the great defect of ordinary artificial 
swarming^ that the swarm is first removed, and then 
the weakened colony has not only to tend its brood, 
but also to raise its queen. Under normal conditions, 
to which exceptions are very rare, the queens are 
fully fed first, and then the swarm departs. All this 
can be imitated very completely by following the 
natural sequence of raising our queens in order that 
swarms may be made, rather than making swarms in 
order that queens may be produced ; hence was 
given the caution at page 265. 
With our present slight control over fertilisation, 
it is highly desirable that we obtain in number abnor- 
mally early drones from the stock which we have 
selected to supply the male element. This should be 
strengthened by brood from other colonies, and stimu- 
lated by carefully-sustained feeding. As the bees begin 
to crowd, a comb of drone-cells should be placed in 
the centre of the brood-nest, care being taken at 
the same time that the bees should have no combs 
they do not fully cover. Very soon, drone-eggs will 
be laid ; and now, in our fitful climate, watchfulness is 
needed, for a few cold nights, accompanied by uncertain 
income (for the bees are not encouraged appreciably 
by heavily-stored combs), may cause the objects of 
our hope to disappear, in furnishing a repast to the 
workers.* 
The stock from which eggs for furnishing queens 
are to be taken should have been kept carefully 
going, and, about the time the earliest of the drones 
* Drone-eggs are safe if given, so soon as laid, to a queenless colony ; 
but this involves more labour than simple attention to feeding. 
