256 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



in such cages, so have a care, although I have had hun- 

 dreds of queens in them without noting any harm. Per- 

 haps all tinned wire-cloth is not alike. 



DISTRIBUTING OUEEX-CELLS. 



When the queen-cells are to he distributed, the first 

 thing is to provision a number of queen-cages of the No. 

 2 style, w^ith the usual queen-candy, tacking a piece of 

 pasteboard on the end of the plug. Then we go to the 

 nucleus where the cells are stored, cut out the cells, re- 

 jecting any that do not appear satisfactory, and put the 

 cells in the cages. Some cells, however, are left un- 

 caged. When we come to a nucleus that has had no queen 

 for a day or more, there is no need of caging the cell. It 

 is put against the comb in a good place, and fastened there 

 with a hive-staple (Fig. 85). Coming to a nucleus with 

 a queen which we wish to remove, we put the queen in 

 a cage, and give the nucleus a caged cell, laying the cage 

 against the comb and nailing it there with a 1>^ or 1^ 

 'wire-nail (Fig. 93). This nail is slender so as to prsh 

 easily through the meshes of the wire-cloth. Then the 

 young queens that we have removed are used wherever 

 needed. 



BRUSHING BEES OFF OUEEX-CELLS. 



Before cutting cells from the comb the bees must be 

 removed, and it would mean the ruin of the cells to shake 

 the bees ofif. Brushing with a Coggshall brush, al- 

 though it might do with extreme care, would be likely 

 to result in torn cells. Even something no stiffer than 

 goldenrod or sweet clover needs much care. T like best 

 a bunch of long and soft June grass — a very fiimsy afifair 

 to use as a brush, but it is safe. 



ADVANTAGE OF CAGING CELLS. 



Of course the object of caging the cells is to prevent 

 the bees from tearing them down. At the time of taking 



