174 
THE mVE AND HONET-BEE. 
chapter on Loss of the Queen.) As an old queen leaves 
the hive only with a new swarm, the loss of her wings* in 
no way interferes with her usefulness, or the attachment 
of the bees. If, in spite of her inability to fly, she is bent 
on emigrating, though she has a “ will,” she can find “ no 
way,” but helplessly falls to the ground, instead of gaily 
mounting into the air. If the bees find her, they cluster 
around her, and may be easily secured by the Apiarian; 
if she is not found, they return to the parent-stock, to 
await the maturity of the young queens. As soon as the 
])iping of the first-hatched queen is heard (p. 121), the 
Ai)iarian may force his swarm, unless—having fair warning 
of their intentions—he prefers to allow them to swarm in 
the natural way. The number of queens nearly ready to 
liatch wliich are usually found in such a stock, may be 
profitably used in the swarming season. 
As the queen can not get through an opening 5-32dst 
of an inch high, which will just pass a loaded worker, if 
the entrance to the hive be contracted to this dimension, 
she will not be able to Ictive with a swarm : (see I’l. HI., 
P'igs. 11, 12.) 
This method of preventing swarming,! requires great 
• Bcos communicate with each other by their antennae^ and Huber has proved 
that queens deprived of these, drop their eggs without care, and are unfit for pre* 
eidlngover a hive. 
t Huber docs not give the size necessary for confining a queen; but bo speaks 
of adjusting a glana tuhty so as to pass out a w'orkor, and not a queen. The small¬ 
est queen I ever saw, could not pass through my blocks. Although the workers 
are at first slightly annoyed by them, they soon become accustomed to them, as 
they do not confuse them, by presenting tho entrance in a new place. The ventila¬ 
tion not depending on this contracted entrance, abundance of air can bo given to 
•ho bees, when the blocks are ailjusted to confine the quee n. 
X lU health, for the last two Summers, has prevented mo from giving this 
rtiethod of swarming sucli a full trial that I can confidently Indorse It, except for 
t«*inporary purposes; thougli 1 have little douiit that it may be made entirely to 
present the Issue of swarms. If so, It will bo of great service to those who fear 
to open a hive to remove tho royal cells, or cut off the wings of n queen. If 
ns soon ns piping is heard, the entrance l.s contracted for about a week, tho liee® 
may allow the young queens to engage iu mortal combat. In this case, tho block# 
