244 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



BEES FOR CELL-BUILDIXG. 



Having now arranged for the right kind of brood 

 and eggs to be ready on the same day of each week, the 

 next thing is to find the right kind of bees to start the 

 cells. Xot only to start them, but to take the very best 

 care of them. We can probably find no bees better fitted 

 to produce good queen-cells than those that of their own 

 accord have already engaged in the business. So a strong 

 colony is chosen which has already started queen-cells 

 in preparation for swarming. All queen-cells already 

 started are destroyed, the queen is removed, and one 

 of the frames is taken away, leaving a vacancy in the 

 center of the hive. ]\Iost likely the colony has one or 

 more supers, but these are not to be taken away. 



BROOD FOR OUEEX-CELLS. 



We now go to the nucleus containing our best c(ueen, 

 take out the frame with the virgin comb, and replace it 

 with an empty frame with its two starters, brushing back 

 into the hive the bees from the comb taken out, and clos- 

 ing the hive. Looking at the comb taken out, you will 

 see that instead of the oldest brood being in the center, 

 it will be in the two places wdiere the two starters were 

 put. It was for this purpose the two starters at the sides 

 were given rather than a central one. For by this means 

 the wavins: contour will give opportunity for a larger 

 number of queen-cells on the edge of the comb than 

 would otherwise be the case. 



TRIMMING T?IE BREEDING-COMB. 



For a little distance at the edge, the comb contains 

 eggs only. This part is trimmed away, leaving the 

 youngest of the brood at the edge of the comb (Fig. 89). 

 One reason for this is that, other thines beins: eciual, the 

 bees show a decided preference for building on the edge 

 of a comb. Another reason is that I decidedly prefer to 



