MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 187would not hold a very strong colony, and a queen reared in itwould not be so good as one reared in a strong colony, at leastup to the time of sealing the cell. After the queen-cell is sealedit is not so important that the cell be in a strong colony and inhot weather it will do very well to be in a nucleus.Q. Do you consider forced queen-rearing (as used by thosewho transfer the larvae) as good as natural methods given by youin your book? Are the queens as long-lived and as prolific?A. In the hands of skillful men I don't see why just as goodqueens cannot be reared by the methods in vogue among queenbreedersbut I don't see how they can be any better. But I wouldlay stress upon having cells started under favorable circumstances,with a good yield of honey, and in a colony in the humorfor starting cells. No colony is too strong or too good to rearqueen-cells.Q. Are not queens reared from the egg better than thosereared from the grub?A. I don't believe they are if the grub be young enough.Scientists tell us that during the first three days the food to thequeen larva is the same as the worker larva, only in largerquantity. But it is likely the worker gets all it can eat; so theoreticallya queen reared from a worker larva three days old shouldbe as good as one reared from the egg. I think, however, that alarva of less age is better, because when bees have their choicethey select one younger; I think not more than perhaps a day anda half old. Such a queen is probably as good as one reared fromthe egg.Q. I wish to rear queens as soon as practicable in the spring.How can I tell when the proper time comes?A. Not until about the time the most advanced colonies beginto start cells of their own accord. Or, to take it on another basis,not until bees are gathering enough so as to begin building comb.You can begin a good deal sooner than either of those times, butyour queens will not be worth rearing, and they may have troublein becoming mated.Q. Which is the simplest way, rear queens in nuclei, or re-frame with queen-cells?queen the selected colony by inserting aA. It is much simpler to hang in the hive a frame with aqueen-cell, or to put in a queen-cell without the frame. Only inthat case you will have to wait ten days to two weeks before theyoung queen begins to lay. You also run some risk that theyoung queen may fail.