NOVEMBER 1, 1912 



697 



Fid. 3. — A cheap hive-stand that leaves room for the toes under the bottom- 

 board. 



three rows, though the 

 comb in Fig. 1 shows 

 only two intermediate 

 rows scraped out. Tlie 

 illustration shows the 

 comb used in the first 

 trial, which resulted 

 in the jumbled lot of 

 cells shown in Fig. 2. 

 Further experiments 

 convinced me that it 

 would be better to 

 scrape out three rows. 



KILL ALL EGGS IN THE 

 INTERMEDIATE ROWS. 



After cutting down 

 to the midrib beside 

 each fourth row, the 

 intermedi ate rows 

 scrape out very easily 

 by using the point of a 

 wide brad awl; but 

 most of the eggs are 

 left behind; and un- 

 less these are all killed 



When I learn the trick it will be time 

 enough to write it. I used 3%x5 7-to-t lie- 

 foot sections, open on four sides. 



Fig'. 3 Avas taken to show our famous 

 I-beam hive-stand, invented by others but 

 original Avith me. The principal advantages 

 are cheapness, lightness, and a place to 

 put one's toes under the hive when work- 

 ing. Also stray queens can not beguile bees 

 beneath the hive and build combs without 

 being delected, and I believe an open stand 

 rots the hive-bottom less than a closed one. 



Hebron, Ind. 



HORIZONTAL COMB METHOD OF SECURING 

 OUEEN-CELLS 



BY ISAAC HOPKINS 



Referring to my letter published Aug. 

 1, p. 479, and also to the footnote, I wish 

 to say that, if illustrations 1 and 3 had 

 been printed the other way up, as the 

 jjhoto pirints were marked, they would 

 have looked much better. As the cells 

 are foreshortened in the photo, they look 

 much smaller than they really were. 



PREPARING THE COMBS FOR CELLS. 



In the copy I sent I wrote, "I prefer 

 a last-season's-built comb that has not 

 been bred in." The word "not" was left 

 out when the article was printed, making 

 me say the opjiosite. By all means use a 

 bright clean comb that has not been used 

 for breeding purposes. You will note 

 that I say, "save every fourth row of 

 cells, and scrape out the intermediate 



the bees are as likely to build cells 

 over them as over those in the rows, and 

 make a jumble of cells. A small stiff 

 brush, if run along, will kill them. I pre- 

 fer a splint dipped in wax for killing 

 eggs in cells, rather than a phosphorus 

 match, as I think the jihosphorus does 

 harm. 



DEQUEENING THE COLONY FOR CELL-BUILD- 

 ING. 



I notice Mr. F. Greiner says, American 

 Bee Journal for June, p. 176, "Mr. Dines 

 dequeens about six or seven days before 

 he gives the prepared comb." Our plan, 

 wliich works all I'ight, requires two for 

 the work. One dequeens the colony chosen, 

 by making a nucleus colony with the 

 cjueen, two frames of brood, bees, and a 

 frame of food. The rest of the unsealed 

 brood without bees is put into the upiper 

 story of a strong colony. The other, in 

 the mean time, is preparing the comb ; 

 and when ready it is jDut at once into the 

 hive for queen-eell building, so that the 

 colony is not queenless for longer than 

 half an hour, and in less than 12 hours 

 the queen-cells are well under way. 



RETURNING QUEEN AND BROOD. 



Unless we wish to retain the queen in 

 the nucleus colony we return her and the 

 brood to the hive on the fourth or fifth 

 day, usually on the fourth after she was 

 taken from the hive. She, of course, is 

 placed in the brood-chamber with a queen- 

 excluder over the frames, and the cells 

 above, where they mature. There is prac- 

 tically no loss of time, as the queen can 



