. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. HELPfCL HraS fOR NOVICES^ h'^^^.Z^ E^KD. QUEEN-REARING AND INTRODUCTION. {Continued from fage 170.) For late mating, drones can be kept in a queenless stock; when in this con- dition they will often be allowed to live right through the winter. Under natural conditions a large number of drones are reared. This appears to h>e a waste of energy when we consider that only one is required to mate each virgin, and that mating, once accomplished, lasts for life. The queen is strong and swift upon the wing; therefore, in
. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. HELPfCL HraS fOR NOVICES^ h'^^^.Z^ E^KD. QUEEN-REARING AND INTRODUCTION. {Continued from fage 170.) For late mating, drones can be kept in a queenless stock; when in this con- dition they will often be allowed to live right through the winter. Under natural conditions a large number of drones are reared. This appears to h>e a waste of energy when we consider that only one is required to mate each virgin, and that mating, once accomplished, lasts for life. The queen is strong and swift upon the wing; therefore, in the pursuit of his mate, only the most vigorous drone wins, transmitting his vigour and hardiness to his progeny— a clear example of the law of the survival and perpetuation of the fittest. Drones are attracted to the virgin by scent; this can be proved by hanging up an empty queen cage which has been occupied for a little while by a virgin about five days old. It will be a source of attraction to drones for several days. Another reason for the rearing of an abundance of drones is that the queen may be mated as soon as possible and return to the hive, where she will be secure from bird enemies, which may, perchance, snap her up. The danger of this is very great if the wedding flight is a protracted one. Bad weather for a succession of days may delay the flight of both queen and drones. Normally, a virgin ought to be mated and laying within a week after emerging from, the cell ; and, although I have had virgins mated when three weeks old, it is best to kill off all those whicli are not mated and laying at the end of a fortnight, for, as a rule, these are unsatisfactory mothers. Further, if the queen is not mated at all, the stock is reduced to the same condi- tion as one containing a laying worker. She will lay, but the absence of the seminal fluid obtained from the drone will cause her to lay unfertilised eggs only. Although these are laid in worker cells, drones will be rear
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