This is said to change the character of the insect and make a queen of it to replace the one that has died. Or, if this is not done the queenless colony may merge with another that has a queen.
In order to prevent the hatching of too many queens the bee keeper will examine his hives frequently, and cut out all the "queen cells," thus preventing them from hatching and so causing the bees to swarm frequently.
They all watched while the men shook the cluster of bees into the new hive, and carried them away, Russ, meanwhile getting a fine film of the operation. Later this film was shown with much success in New York, so that, after all, the interruption of the school scene had a happy outcome. Later the little play was finished.
"Whew!" exclaimed Paul, when it was all over. "That was some going on, all right!"
"Does your sting hurt much?" asked Alice, solicitously.
"I think it would be better for some ammonia," he replied.
"I'll put some on for you when we get back to the house," she offered, "and some witch hazel, too."
"It feels better already—just with the thought of that," he answered gallantly.