. The Bee-keepers' review. Bee culture. 212 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW it unimpaired strength. That is, there was no swarming because no queen showed signs of weakness. Conversely, all swarming not the effect of conditions external to the hive, is to be traced to the temporary weakness of the queen. Weakness, or inability to do full work, may result from the great laying of the earlier season followed by swarming; or be an effect of age followed by super- sedure. To further develop the argument, eggs in queen cups, whether followed by swarming or supersedure, are always an effect of the one cause
. The Bee-keepers' review. Bee culture. 212 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW it unimpaired strength. That is, there was no swarming because no queen showed signs of weakness. Conversely, all swarming not the effect of conditions external to the hive, is to be traced to the temporary weakness of the queen. Weakness, or inability to do full work, may result from the great laying of the earlier season followed by swarming; or be an effect of age followed by super- sedure. To further develop the argument, eggs in queen cups, whether followed by swarming or supersedure, are always an effect of the one causeâroyal weakness. If the queen recovers her strength after a partial cessation from labor (and we know that she lays less freely, at least after cells are started) W3 may suppose that the bees swarm rather than sacri- fice her or destroy their ctlls. If she does not recover she is superseded. A recov- ered queen is jealous and restless, and to save both quean and cells, swarming is the altarnative. An old queen is indiffer- ent; makes no trouble, an^i is superseded. Or, to state it anothsr way, knowing that exhaustion of vitality by age leads to cell- culture and supersedure, 1 assume that a like effect from overwork leads to cell culture and swarming. By reversing this theory, the cases in hand may be understood. For, Mr. Al- exander's queens could not have been overworked owing to their number. Dr. Miller's queens, in Foundation Treatment, had a week's rest. A virgin introduced at the opening of the season is not likely to get tired. A queen in a nucleus can't get tired. Those queens confined from early spring to very small brood chambers had no chance to tax their strength. Objections to the theory here advanced will, of course, occur to everyone. Of these, the most formidable is the infre- quency of swarming from very large hives. Perhaps it may be met in this way: everyone at different times has no- ticed eggs in queen cups that after a few days were missing. They were put
Size: 1730px × 1444px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbeecult, bookyear1888
