THE SOIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 January 1911, Page 2

THE SOIL.

. FERTILITY OF THE QUEEN BEE. A STUDY IN THOUSANDS. (By W Abram in "Sydney Daily Telegraph.") It may interest many to be informed, to almost exaat figures, the number of eggs a queen, bee is laying or able to lay within a certain time. In some public school books I have read that she lays about 200 eggs a day. This is quite erroneous. A correct statement can only be given by taking various circumstances into consideration, which induce the queen to lay more egfgs at one time, less at another, ajhd none at all at yet another period. What causes the in crease, what the decrease? 'The number of bees are found by weighing them, and from: 4500 to 5000 weigh a pound. "Taking 5000 to the pound, a swarm of 41b., contains 20,000 bees. I have 'weighed many swarms, and 'most of them weighed 5 to 7-jb.; and these gave the best results. Swarms of 10 and ll lb. did not give proportionately- larger results.

Having satisfied oneself as to the size of swarms most profitable, it is also ne 'cessary to know now long the bees live in the busy season. This is easily ascertainable by the use of different coloured races of bees, the gentle Italians 'being yellow branded, the North European dark brown. The average life is about two months in the summer- but much longer in winter, when they are 'less active. The highest point of breeding seems to be reachd about 14. days bfore swarming, when about 2000 eggs are laid a day for a short period. In winter, when the bees leave oft working, the queen stops laying eggs also; and as some-bees die daily during thai time the hives axe weak in number in 'early spring. With the advent of warmer weather breeding commences again, and the queen will lay 100 to 200 eggs a 'day, . gradually ' increasing the number, and by the end of August 600 or more eggs aire laid every day. As now, the young bees begin to hatch, the 'queen's laying capacity extends, and she 'lays more*than 1000 eggs a day. The old bees from last autumn are now fast dying off, but, young ones in larger number take their place, and thus the hive "gets stronger. The queen has by this time almost reached the maximum of her laying capability. About 35,000 eggs have been laid in 20 days, or 1750 a day, and these brood cells cover 700 square inches of comlb. If circumstances favour the queen she may extend Tier laying to 2000 eggs A day for a short period. Whether this colossal colony now swarms or not has, henceforth no marked inflAnce in regard to the queen's fertility. She has reached her maximum, and from now decreases - in laying, and remains constant for a few months to about 1000 to 1500 eggs a day, while at the autumn she ceases altogether, to begin again in the following spring. The number of bees also decreases gradually. 7 Occasionally a queen has laid over 3000 egigs a day for 10 or 14 days, or 150 a n hour; but as a queen cannot be expected to lay without resting, let us assume she lays 10 hours- and rests 14 hours, then she has laid 350 eggs an hour. But bees and queens do not rest so many hours a day in succession; they have short spells every now and again, for some minutes at a time. Although a. few queens have laid large numbers of eggs for a shorfc time, it, must be borne in mind that these exceptions prove the rule. It was.thought thajt if young queens were Teared from 'the most fertile mothers they might inherit that quality and remain constant; but they only prove to be ordinary, while occasionally, an excellent layer results' firom a poor laying mother. A two to three-year old queen, is often as fertile && a younger one, and a big queen is not superior as at mother to a middle-sized one. The bees have evidently great m'fluence over the queenT In winter, when the bees rest, the queen-ceases laying? "but when a desire for brood arises the queen' is- fed accordingly. The hive of 60,000 cell capaciiy is, therefore, sufficient for the brood room space. Surplus honey is stored above the brood chamber:. Only after continued and careful- experiments and studies satisfactory conclusions can be drawn; but even.a lifetime is too short for learning all the mysteries of the bee.