Year: 1867




Queens are the mothers of the colonies
To control the queens is to control the stock
Ii queen is given to colony when they
already have one, they will kill the stranger;
but il a colony has had its queen removed
few hours or days, they will be anxious to
receive another; and if they have access to
worker eggs will rear number of young
ones.


If the bee keeper will take his pure Ital
ian queen from her hive, the colony will
proceed to rear from five to ten you, ones,
which will commence Matching in ten or
elevendays from the time the queen is re
moved One or two of these should be
left in the hive for their use. At the ex-
piration of eight or nine days, the remain
der may be cut out leaving little comb
with the cell to prevent kruising it. As
many native queens may now be removed
from their hives as there are of these cells,
and one Of the cells Immediately put in
each hive, having previously cut a hole in a
brood, to receive the cell The queen will
most likely emerge from the cell in two or
three days, and week after this fly abroad
to mate with the drones, and in two or three
days more will commence laying eggs, which
Will udlCu III tllltc NCEhh, anu usually IL
two or three months from this time all the
native stock will he dead and the Italians
in their place. These young queens will be
apt to mat, with the kind of drones most
abundant when they fly out; and if these
be native, of course the progeny will not be
pune, except that the drones from all such
queens soiU be pure Italian; so that, if after
this, pure queens are reared in such an
Apiary, or Bee-yard, they will be quite
certain to mate with pure italian drones.-
These hybirds may then be removed and
pure ones inserted in their stead. If, hav-
ing removed a queen and inserted a cell.
the latter fails to batch, the colony will
rear a native queen from their own brood.


To remove the queen, if in a movable
comb hive, open the hive and she can be
found on the combs. If in common box
hive, invert the hive and set an empty one
Of nearly the same size on top of this; then
by rapping ON the lower hive the bees will
be driven into the upper box. When the
bees begin to run up, the top box may be
leaned to one side and search be made for
the queen, as the bees 60 up the side of
the hive. But, if she is not thus found,
the hive may be set on its stand and the
be- shaken out on sheet in front of it,
and hived as when they swarm. The queen
may then he found as the bees run into the
hive. .....-


Another mode of rearing queen, is to
destroy the qu en- of hive OF natives. -
Eight days after this open the hive and de-
stroy all the queen cells they have sta 'ted,
then give them some comb containing brood
From this number of royal cells will be
produced to be distributed to other hives in
eight or nine days. II a movable comb
hive is use, a comb containing eggs and
larvae from the Italian may be exchanged
for q comb of the queenleSs colony; or two
three pieces of comb, from three to five
inches long and an inch or more wide, con-
tainng eggs and larvae just hatched, may
be inserted in holes cut in the brood combs
Of the queenless colony, to receive them,
like cap>stones over doors and windows,
leaving halfinch or more space below
them to give room for the cells to be built
downwards.


| am asked, "Do you pretend 70 say that
any person may this manipulate bees with>
out being stung almost to death? Can bees
reailybe handled with any degree Of satety?'


must say, | think no one can handle
bees much without being stung some; and
there are few whom it hurts so seriously
to be stung, that it is not wise in them to
engage in bee culiure, at least without be-
ing we'll protected by bee dress. | pre-
sumo that the man who can ''close his
mouth On handful of bees, or swarm a
colony on his face" can handle bees with
impunity. No, there is but little difference
in people 8 liability to be stung. There is
much in the motions and manner OF ap>
preaching bees; but colony once enraged
will master the most skillful. The taking
of box of honey nnskillfnlly, or carelessly
leaning hive to one side, will occasion
more singing than the most heroic feats in
handling bees, when practiced with little
judgment. 1t is easier to control whole
colony in.elligently, than single bee ignor-
antly. Singing is instructive and necessary
to these little creatures, as it is protection
against their enemies and the indiscriminate
handling of their keepers. 1t would not do
at all to have bees that would not sting, -
But, surely any one with knowledge of
the condition under which bees do sting,
and some practiced skill in their manage
ment, will be able to perform all necessary
operations with but little danger.


1t is not right to suppose that bees are
always on the alert for an opportunity to
sting. They sting in defense Of the home
looses its singer and with it its life. While
away from home or collecting honey from
flowers, bees do not voluntarily sting. Bees
that have had in hives, on the side of the
pavement, during two summers, where foot
men passed every few moments never stung.
Yet bees keep a special guard over theil
homes, and anything they understand to be
an attack on their hives, they will resent
with desperation. Breathing on them is
offensive any striking Or other quick mo
tions will induce an assault; but more cs
pecially jaring the hives, even the mos
trihing will drive them forth in great fury
and the poisonous odor emitted by single
sting, makes it doubly sure that Others viii
follow in large numbers and with increased
fcrocity, until the provoking cause is re
moved. Bees once enraged sometimes re
main so for days or weeks. When among
bees always move quietly; if attacked hole
| the head down and place your hands owe
your face. Bees instinciiyely know wher
you most hate to be stung. If stung, max,
| no SuuucH HlUtloilS, WltnuTaW Tue SUNG q


quickly as possible, for it continues to worl


in deeper and inject more poison If tn


bee keeper is going to open his hive Of bee


or handle them in any way that would an


ger them, he should prepare himself witt


d roll of Gotten rags of the size of an ear 0


corn, rolled so tightly as not to blaze whel


one end Is fired. With this roll burning


approach the hive and blow smoke into


until the bees have gotten up the full hun


Of retreat and submission. You may the


proceed to handle them. IF they rally an


show signs of fight, give them more smoke


1t will seem to them that that they are t


lose all of their stores, and to save some


they will gorge themselves with honey, an


bees filed with anything sweet rarely sting


This is one reason why they sting SO littl