186. An interesting thing sometimes occurs in a colony when it loses its queen and finds itself without brood from which to rear another and is not given another queen by the beekeeper. What are commonly known by beekeepers as fertile worker bees develop and begin to lay eggs. This is not startling when it is known that the worker bee is a female whose generative organs have been stunted by weaning, and the different type of food she was fed while in the larval stage. The bees that emerge from the eggs of these laying workers are drones and not workers and, therefore, their efforts to take the place of the queen are useless to the colony and to the beekeeper. Such layers usually deposit many eggs in a cell, do not lay evenly, and by laying drone eggs in worker cells the brood is capped over so that it sticks out here and there on the comb in little humps protruding (see figure 61) much more than worker brood when capped over. It is almost impossible to introduce a queen to a colony containing laying workers. Before one can introduce a queen to a colony containing laying workers, first get rid of these laying workers. Perhaps the best method to accomplish this is to divide the colony that contains the laying workers into two or more parts and unite each part with a colony that has a good queen and one that has a large force of worker bees. The method used to unite these divisions may be the same as given in paragraph No. 6.

187. One of the prime requisites of beekeeping is the smoker by which cool smoke can be blown in adequate quantities upon the bees, this smoke acting to subdue them. Many beekeepers find it difficult to find a satisfactory fuel for a bee smoker. The fuel is of considerable importance, not so much for the smoke it makes as for the ease by which the smoker may be kept burning. A poor fuel will not allow sufficient draft up through the smoker to keep burning, and if there is anything disagreeable, it is to have a smoker go out just at a time when you need it most.

188. Some beekeepers use burlap, others coarse planer shavings. Material like cobs and chunks of wood are seldom satisfactory as the blast of the smoker will usually throw sparks and make a hot smoke when such fuel is used.

189. Perhaps the most satisfactory fuel is gunny sacking. The gunny sack may be cut into strips slightly narrower than the depth of the smoker fire box and then rolled up and put into the smoker. To light such a fuel light a piece of paper and drop it into the fire box of the smoker. Place the roll of gunny sack into the fire box and push it down lightly onto the paper, working the bellows vigorously until the flames start to come out at the top. Then press the gunny sack down sufficiently to put out the flame but not so far that it will prevent the circulation of air in the fire box. Close the lid of the smoker and work the bellows vigorously to be sure the smoker is still alight. With dry fuel of this sort that burns readily but does not burst into flame, the draft of the smoker when it is standing upright will usually be sufficient to keep it afire for as long as the fuel lasts. If the smoker does not retain the fire readily, your fuel may be damp or not the proper kind, or the grate of the smoker may have become clogged with ashes from previous charges of fuel.

190. Occasionally while using the smoker place your hand before the outlet and work the bellows, to make sure that the smoke that is being thrown is cool. Perhaps nothing angers bees more than hot smoke. If the smoke from the fire box is hot, or sparks are being thrown out when you are using th proper fuel, it is usually a sign that the fuel is nearly exhausted. By adding other fuel, pushing it into the firebox firmly, working the bellows meanwhile, the old charge will fire the new charge and there will be no interruption in the use of the smoker. For proper instructions for the use of the smoker when handling bees, see paragraph 60.

191. The hives in an apiary should be raised off the ground a few inches to prevent the ground moisture from rotting out the hive bottom boards prematurely and to keep the bees comfortable. Bricks, tile or rough wooden stands about four to six inches high are usually suitable for hive stands. Do not set more than two or four hives at the most on one stand because you will find that while working with one colony the disturbance is sure to irritate the bees in the other hives and they will attack you if not smoked occasionally. The hives should be located if possible, on well drained land where water is not likely to reach them. It is not so convenient to work with bees when the hives are more than a few inches above the ground level. By all means do not allow weeds and grass to grow up in front of the hive entrances. These impede the flight of the bees, reduce the honey crop and also cause dampness in the hives. Ashes, planer shavings, or salt scattered in front of the hives will help keep clown the weeds. Rough boards as shown in figure 16 materially aid the bees in being able to get into the hive with the least loss of energy when returning with their loads.

192. Ants are often a source of annoyance to the beekeeper when they make their home under the covers of the hives, but, like the wax worm, they seldom harm a strong colony of bees. There are several things you can do to keep them away. If a flat top cover is used that does not telescope down over the sides of the hive do not use a cloth or a board under it. Between the cover and cloth or board is an excellent place for ants to breed. Extra equipment is not necessary especially if the hives are accurately constructed so the bees have a passageway between the tops of the frames and the under side of the cover. Strong colonies of bees are very capable of protecting the inside of their home if it is constructed with accurate bee spaces. When the metal roof and inner covers are used kerosene oil rubbed on the edges of the inner cover will usually keep ants away. A few crystals of paradichlorobenzine sprinkled on the inner covers will also usually have the desired result. Care should be taken to have the escape hole closed in the inner cover.