QUEEN BEES.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18257, 19 February 1931, Page 11

QUEEN BEES.

IMPROVING THE STRAIN. DOMINION OPEN TEST. TE AWAMUTU APIARIST’S SUCCESS With the object of encouraging honey production, a Queen test has been instituted, open to apiarists throughout the Dominion. A better strain is aimed at, desirable characteristics being bees that are gentle to handle, bees that are contented and not likely to swarm, bees that are good in appearance, bees that will resist the intrusion of wax moths and most important of all, bees that will store a large surplus of honey. The test is held at the Ruakura State Farm and the Apiary instructor, Mr T. .Winter, has conducted the test strictly according to the rules laid down by the National Beekeepers’ Association as follows: —On November 3 test queens were received at the apiary. The worker bees accompanying each queen were released and killed. A careful selection of bees was made from colonies as near as possible equal in strength and quality. Four pounds of worker bees with a high percentage of young nurse bees were given to each queen and housed in one body box with nine frames of dry combs, a division board feeder, mat, lid and floor board complete. It is usual in such tests to place the bees on to foundation. This year, however, the weather conditions would not allow of this procedure and equal feeding had to be carried out until November 28.

The following is a record of the winning queen and her bees: —

The total weight of the winning hive, bees’ pollen and honey taken on February 17 was 3721b5.' The queen produced bees which gathered and stored not less than 1991bs of honey. Mr Smedley, of Te Awamutu, was the winner.