BROOD AND BROOD-REARING 
141 
Close view of eggs. Notice the cell in the lower left-hand corner contains two eggs, while that at the 
right-hand corner has a larva. 
# 
eggs, may be an indication that the colony 
is queenless. During spring and early sum¬ 
mer there will be, or should be, brood in 
all stages, including eggs. Such a condition 
indicates general prosperity, and the bee¬ 
keeper can feel that his pets are doing well. 
But if there are no eggs nor young larvae, 
and the queen cannot be found; and if, 
also, there are initial queen-cells during 
spring and the fore part of summer, the 
strong probabilities are that the queen has 
recently. died or that a swarm has issued. 
It may further be said that the absence of 
eggs and the presence of initial queen-cells 
during the active season are fairly good 
proof either that the queen is not in the 
hive, or that the one that is there is about 
to be replaced. It will be seen, then, that 
the presence or absence of brood in vari¬ 
ous stages of growth, and especially young 
brood and eggs, gives one a pretty accur¬ 
ate idea of the condition of the colony. 
After the main honey flow, which usually 
occurs in the northern States from July 1 
to August 1, the activity of the queen in 
egg-laying will decrease and the amount of 
brood, even in a normal colony, will be very 
much less than at any time preceding the 
honey flow. Sometimes there will be almost 
no larvae nor eggs, and but very little seal¬ 
ed brood. The beginner will be inclined to 
think the queen is failing, wdien, as a mat¬ 
ter of fact, she and her colony are pursu¬ 
ing a normal course. Nature evidently 
works on the plan that there is no use in 
producing a lot of worker bees and con¬ 
sumers when they can be of no possible 
help to the colony; so she husbands her 
Unsealed, partially sealed, and fully sealed honey, 
which may he in either worker or drone cell. Capil¬ 
lary attraction prevents the unsealed honey from 
running out. 
forces until another honey flow comes on 
toward fall. At that time brood-rearing 
will start up again; and possibly the hives 
may have as much brood as at any time 
during spring or early summer. But if cool 
or frosty nights come on, the amount, prob- 
