>
> Now, to ascertain the matter with sufficient accuracy, I determined to
> sacrifice three hives every year, one strong, and two moderate ones.
> Accordingly, on the first of February, I suffocated a strong hive, after
> Thornley's method ; and when I took out the combs, it surprised me much to
> find an abundance of brood : the eggs and maggots were innumerable, and
> many were next to emerging from their cells.  It was then obvious to me,
> that the queen had begun to lay her eggs in the early part of January
>

Here in Maine a friend of mine use to make up an observation hive in early
January for our annual Trade Show. He found a candidate hive with an
"abundance of brood" in less than three tries. So the build up was already
going on. But then, all beekeeping is local.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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