Curiosities & wonders > New observations on the natural history of bees

FORMATION OF SWARMS. 193
t;2y have a queen occupied with her princi-
] II laying of male eggs; whereas, having
I t their female, the eggs of drones are no
lager in the combs to influence their in-
i net. They are in a certain degree rest-
iss and discouraged.
ffljOn this account, after removing the queen
irom a hive, I thought of rendering all the
)iier circumstances as similar as possible to
> ^e condition of bees preparing to swarm.
y introducing a great many workers, I in-
tsfeased the population to excess, and sup-
) ied them with combs of male brood in
11fery stage. Their first occupation was con-
oructing royal cells after Schirach’s method,
i|d rearing common worms with royal food,
hey also began some stalactite cells, as if
!;ie presence of the male brood had inspired
ailem to it; but these they discontinued, as
wiere was no queen to deposit her eggs. Fi-
.'llly, I gave them several close royal cells,
iken indifferently from hives preparing to
svarm. However, all my precautions were
rauitless; the bees were occupied only with
■placing their lost queen ; they neglected
fife royal cells entrusted to their care : the
eluded queens came out at the ordinary
nne, without being detained prisoners a