THE REARING OF QUEEN BEES. 



17 



the beginner the use of three frames is recommended. When only 

 one is used more bees should he shaken into the box. 



At the end of about six hours the wooden cell bases are removed 

 one at a time, using an extra base as a plug to prevent the escape of 

 any of the bees, and into each base is placed a little royal jelly and a 

 very young larva from the colony of the breeding queen. It is not 

 absolutely necessary to use royal jelly at this time, for if enough of 

 the larval food be transferred from the worker cell with the larva to 



Fig. 7. — Swarm box from below, with top of lid. A blank bar is in place in one slot, as used when 

 only sixteen cells are to be started (original). 



Keep it moist for a short time, the confined bees will secrete ro^'al jelly 

 so rapidly that the larvi« wnll neither drj- up nor starve. However, 

 in ever3^-day manipulation it may be l)etter to use a very little royal 

 jelly, and the small amount of extra time required foi" this is, in the 

 hands of most manipulators, generall}' repaid bv the fact that more 

 cells are accepted. The cell bases now containing larvffi having all 

 been replaced, the swarm box is covered with a quilt to keep the cells 

 warm and is put away until the next morning, at which time the box 



