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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



June 28, 1900. 



cell one-eighth of an inch before filling- the mouth of the 

 cell, and form a sink in the wax-cup that will bear sufficient 

 pressure to make the cocoon fit snugly without touching the 

 bottom. The accompanying illustration shows my first 

 plan for dipping a large number of cups at one time, and 

 attaching them to slats by means of melted wax ; but the 

 time has arrived when cell-cups will be on the market, and 

 we need a bar to which they can be attacht without melted 

 wax. One, a half-inch square, to fit between the end-bars 

 of a brood-frame, with IS S-16-of-an-inch holes bored nearly 

 thru, and five-eighths of an inch from center to center, 

 furnishes just such a bar. 



Only one round nail should be used at each end when 

 fastening it in the frame, so that the holes can be turned 

 out for the cups to be inserted and the larva? transferred, 

 with the frame lying on its side. The bars should be im- 

 merst in hot wax before put in use, and if the larva; only are 

 transferred the cups should first be slightly prest into the 

 holes with a peg that fits the bottom ; but if the cocoons be 

 transferred with the larva;, it is only necessary to set them 

 over the holes, and the slight pressure necessary to make 

 the transfer will also tighten the cups. 



The bar should be put across the center of the frame, 

 and the space above it, except a bee-space immediately 

 above it, be filled with a thin board nailed in. There will 

 be no necessity of ever taking the bar out of the frame ; 

 as, if provided with wire loops, the nursery (see next page) 

 can be slipt over the cells in less time than it takes to count 

 them, and the queens removed as they emerge ; or the cells 

 can be detacht and used in the usual way, by simply run- 

 ning a knife between them down to the bar, and prying 

 them off. 



To dip cell-cups that are smooth inside, the first dip 

 must be full-depth, and the others varied according to the 

 temperature of the room and wax. Usually the second dip 

 should only be half way up, and then the third one will 

 finish it, unless the wax is too hot, and should be nearly full- 

 depth. 



The use of the new cell-bar will simplify the dipping of 

 cups wonderfully, as any number of the forming-sticks can 

 be made fast in a board, in rows of suitable distance to ad- 

 mit of conveniently removing the cups, or the sticks can be 

 made fast in the bars, as teeth in a rake, instead of loose, as 

 shown on the first page, and a number of these sets can be 

 fitted into a frame and all dipt at once, by having blocks of 

 varying thicknesses, or some other arrangement, to be ad- 

 justed while the wax is cooling, after making a dip, for the 

 frame or board to come down on, to change the depths of 

 the different dips. It is not necesary to make the base of 

 the cups heavy, as is the case when tliey are to be stuck on 

 slats with wax, and the sticks need not be varied frorr. a 

 perpendicular position, but simply give a little jerk to dis- 

 lodge the drops as soon as they form on the points, to pre- 

 vent having long necks to the cups. 



The latest machine dips them by turning a crank, and 

 the pins have two motions. They go around like the spokes 

 in a wheel, and they whirl, or slowly revolve, as they go 

 around, which keeps the wax spread evenly around until it 

 sets, and prevents the long points that are so bothersome 

 when dipt by hand. The wax must be the right tempera- 

 ture, and the dipping done by a steady, slow movement. If 

 moved too fast the wax will be forced up too high on tlie 

 pins, and make the cups with a long side and a short one. 

 Altho they are turning while in the wax, they will not turn 

 entirely around while at the deepest point. 



The pins are arranged on the circumference of a wheel, 

 but not put on entirely around the wheel, and after all are 

 dipt, and the point reacht where no pins touch the was, all 

 is suddenly raised sufficiently for them to miss the wax, 

 and another revolution given without stopping the wheel, 

 followed by a pause for cups to cool, and then repeated un- 

 til the cups are sufficiently heavy. Then the wheel is car- 

 ried over to the water-trough and the cups removed. If the 

 weather is cool, the water should be kept at a temperature 

 of about 100 degrees, Fahr., to make the cups slip off easily. 



The machine automatically varies the depth of dip by 

 means of a plate with a thick side and thin one, that is, 

 moved around one notch every time the point is reacht 

 where no pegs touch the wax. Over this is arranged a 

 piece of hoop-iron that moves up and down, on which the 

 thumb-screws rest that are used for adjusting the machine 

 to the quantity of wax, and for lowering it as the wax is 

 used up. 



As queen-breeders generally will not consider such a 

 machine practical for making cups for their own use — as 

 more simple arrangements can be used for securing satis- 

 factory cups in a wholesale way — I will not go into all of 



the particulars, but will add for the benefit of those who 

 want to make them for sale, that the pins should have sharp 

 shoulders the right distance from the points to give the cups 

 the desired depth, which will trim each cup to a uniform 

 depth, and remove the feather edge so liable to be broken 

 off in handling. It should be a square cut in, and the cup 

 made on the liead or larger portion. The cells made ou 

 pointed sticks are just ri^ht for use when the transfer is 

 made by using the cocoon, and there is nothing to do when 

 they are placed over the holes but make the transfer, and 

 they will be fastened in the bar at the same time. If larvae 

 only are to be transferred, a peg the same size and shape of 

 the transfer-stick, except the end should be round and 

 smooth instead of concave, can be used for pressing the 

 cups in the bar, which will stretch them and make them the 

 right shape inside. No attempt should ever be made to 

 fasten them in unless they are soft enough to mash up with- 

 out cracking. 



Inasmuch as the bees more lavishly supply larval food 

 to royal larva? than to worker for the first three days, and 

 all agree that the resulting queens are no worse for it, while 

 the experience of many verifies the fact that they are bet- 

 ter, I prefer a plan of transferring whereby newly-hatcht 

 larvae can be used. This is done by supplying the breeder 

 with combs so old that the bottoms of the cells have lost 

 their hexagonal shape, and are thick and dark. A piece of 

 such comb may be shaved down with a keen-edged, slightly 

 heated knife, so as to cut it smooth, within one-eighth of 

 an inch of the bottom of the cells ; and by bend- 

 ing it back and forth, the cocoons will drop 

 from it, unless it has been sufficiently exposed 

 to moisture to mold. 



It will be found that all do not work alike ; 

 some seem to be glued in, while others almost 

 fall out, with all degrees between, but usually 

 they can be transferred by taking them up on 

 the transfer-stick, herewith shown, which is 

 sufficiently rounding at the points to slip into 

 them without bruising them ; altho they may be 

 stretcht a little thereby, which should be the 

 case. The end has a funnel-shaped cavity in it 

 that fits over an eg%, or small larva, and takes 

 the cocoon up, fitting like a gun-cap on the 

 tube, which, by a slight pressure and little 

 twist, is transferred to the cup. 



It is more satisfactory when the comb is 

 old enough so that the outside of the cocoon is 

 black and glossy, and any adhering thin tissues 

 that are liable to come above the edge of it in 

 the cup can be rubbed from it while it is on the 

 stick. Whenever only a transparent tissue is 

 taken up it is useless to insert it into the cup, 

 as it has not the stability to preserve its form 

 while the transfer is being made. Whenever 

 they loosen up by simply bending the comb 

 back and forth there is nothing to do but insert 

 the transfer-stick and take them up ; but, with 

 other pieces of coinb, it may be necessary to 

 slightly work the stick back and forth as tho it 

 is to be shoved or pulled out sidewise before it 

 will adhere. After one has been stretcht too 

 much to fit the stick it cannot be taken up. 

 Slightly waxing the end of the stick may help 

 in obstinate cases. 



I prefer using larva? too small to be seen, 

 that are surrounded by clear or slightly-milky 

 food : but those larger than the head of a brass 

 pin can be transferred. 



When only a small wet spot can be seen in the bottom 

 of the cell the larva will be accepted all right by queenless 

 bees ; and one can rel)' upon being on the right side as to 

 age, as well as certain of the fact that it has been amply 

 fed up to the time of the transfer ; especially so if the comb 

 be given to bees anxious for larvae to feed a few hours 

 before. 



The same comb will usually supply larva? for 3 or 4 days 

 if kept in the breeder's hive as long ; and by returning the 

 combs to the breeder after the brood is sealed, there will 

 nearly always be one from which the bees are hatching 

 solidly, which will be filled with eggs just as fast as the 

 bees in the breeder's hive feel the need of brood to feed. In 

 this way only one set of combs need be cut. 



Some report better success when transferring larvae 

 only if no royal jelly be first put into the cups, as the bees 

 begin to feed them as soon as they are transferred. It cer- 

 tainly should be floating in the milky food before it is trans- 

 ferred ; and at times when it is sticking to the bottoms of 



Tranxfrr- 

 8ik-k. 



