'^(i).^-i-(i-i)'(i-(i)-^-(i-(i-4'<i-(i«i)-4-(i-^-^'#(i)'^^^ 



GEORQE \V. YORK, Editor. 



-m 



-m 



# 



-m. 



-m 



^^ 



-^M 







40th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL,, JANUARY 18, 1900, 



No, 3. 



I 



Success with the Nucleus Method of Increase. 



BY FRANK L. KEHN. 



LAST spring I had six colonies of bees, all on movable 

 frames, eig-ht to the hjve, and desiring.to increase as 

 rapidly as possible, and yet so as not to impoverish the 

 parent colony, it became a question to me as to vrhat 

 method would be best to adopt. 



This being- my first year in handling bees, it became 

 necessary in order to succeed to thoroly understand the 

 -manner of the natural increase of bees ; after a close study 

 of the bee, and a more close scrutiny of the bees on the 

 frames at very near intervals, I determined to proceed ; so, 

 accordingly, on May 3 I set four colonies apart as those 

 from which I would make my nuclei ; the other two colonies 

 I called into service later in a different way. 



On May 3 I had but time to make two nuclei ; on May 6 



I made three more ; May 13, 7 ; June 13, 6 ; Aug. 2, another ; 

 and Aug. IS, still another — making 20 nuclei from the four, 

 and still leaving sufficient in each of the original four to re- 

 cover, gather, and breed. 



In making the nuclei I would have the new hives all 

 prepared before I would open the parent colony, thus : I 

 first nailed the body with two long nails just tight enough 

 on the side to hold to the bottom-board temporarily ; plug 

 the entrance with fresh grass as tight as possible, and nail 

 a strip of wood across so that not a bee could get out ; and 

 place a division-board and two frames with ^ sheet of foun- 

 dation in the hive. The hives being thus ready, and hav- 

 ing the enamel-cloth and cover ready, I proceed. 



Smoke the parent hive, and after a few minutes lift the 

 cover, and remove the division-board ; look for the queen, 

 and remove the frame with her on it, and place it in an 

 empty hive for the time being ; then proceed to look for 

 material for a nuclei. 



I take a frame containing at least )^ -frame of honey 

 with adhering bees, and place it in the hive I wish the 

 nucleus to occupy ; then look at other frames until I find 

 eggs that are under three days old — in other words, eggs 

 that are standing straight up on end. This frame and 

 clinging bees are put into the same hive alongside of the 

 one with honey ; then draw the two empty frames with 

 foundation up to the bees, put on a cloth and cover, and 

 locate it where I wish the hive to remain. 





Summer View of the Apiary of Mr. Frank L. Rehn, of Delaware Co., Pennsylvania. 



