44 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



To procUice snch a queen-raising stock, we 

 close tlie entrance of n nucleus liive with Avire 

 cloth, insert two empty combs, with one coutiiin- 

 ing eggs and imsealed brood, and one with 

 honey. Then, about noon, when the bees are 

 fiying briskly, we lift out several combs of a pop- 

 ulous stock, and shake off the bees into the nu- 

 cleus hive-first ascertaining that the queen is not 

 among them. We tht^n immediately close the 

 hive, and set it in a cellar or some cool dark 

 chamber. Some water should have been poured 

 in the cells of the empty combs, to prevent the 

 destruction of the larva? while the bees are kept 

 confined. Next morning the nucleus may be 

 carried to the apiary, and set in any desired 

 position. The bees when liberated, by remov- 

 ing the wire-cloth from the entrance, will mostly 

 adhere to the nucleus, as the greater portion 

 are young and attached to the brood. But 

 should too many leave, a fresh supply may be 

 added next evening from one of the full stocks. 

 On the third or fourth day after, the nucleus 

 is to be opened and examined, to ascertain 

 whether any or how many queen cells have been 

 started. And on the eighth or ninth day as many 

 additional nuclei are to be fitted up and stocked 

 with bees, as you have supernumerary queen 

 cells to dispose of. These nuclei are also to be 

 set in the cellar over night, taken to the apiary 

 next morning, and a queen cell inserted in each, 

 from the first formed nucleus. Weak colonies 

 and late swarms may also be advantageously 

 used for the formation of such nuclei. 



These nuclei, or small artificial colonies, as 

 they may be called, must of course be kept 

 under constant supervision, to be certain that 

 the young queens have become fertile, or have 

 not been lost on their excursions. In the latter 

 event, a small piece of comb containing unsealed 

 worker larvae, should immediately be inserted, 

 to prevent the orgination of fertile workers, 

 because when such arise and begin to lay in a 

 nucleus, the bees will neglect to rear queen 

 cells from brood subsequently given, and will 

 even destroy any sealed queen cells that may 

 be inserted. 



If these nuclei are made to supply two or 

 three fertile queens, in regular succession, in 

 the course of the summer, they will have suf- 

 ficiently answered the purpose for which they 

 were established. They cost very little, as they 

 will generally gather honey enough to supply 

 themselves ; and commonly build several beau- 

 tiful worker combs in addition, if empty frames 

 are inserted at the proper time. If, however, 

 they chance not to lay up stores enough to car- 

 ry them through the winter, they should be 

 abundantly fed early in the fall, and in due 

 season placed in a dark cellar, where they can 

 remain for months in quiet, consuming compar- 

 atively little honey. 



To gain as much time as possible in these 

 operations, one or two of the nuclei should be 

 unqueened eight or ten days before the c^ueen 

 cells in the remainder are intended to be used. 

 Queen cells will then be immediately started 

 in those thus made queenless, enabling us to 

 insert a sealed queen cell Avithout loss of time 

 in the nuclei which are afterwards deprived. 



A much more rapid and surer multiplication 

 of stock can be effected by this process than by 

 that commonly adopted ; and Ave shall always 

 be in a position to relieve and save a colony 

 which happens to become queeniess, by the 

 prompt introduction of a fertile queen from the 

 "reserved fund," in our nuclei. This further 

 benefit is likewise secured that the beginner 

 will speedily become familiarized with his 

 bees, by the frequent operations which the 

 maintainance of those diminutive stocks neces- 

 sarily requires ; and as the bees thus managed, 

 are ever more tractable than those of large ancl 

 populous hives, he will soon learn to handle them 

 without apprehension of being stung. The 

 dread of the bee's sting ofttimes causes needed 

 operations to be postponed, or wholly neglected. 

 The sooner the beginner overcomes this dread 

 the better ; and nothing can contribute more to 

 inspire him with courage and confidence than 

 the systematic vise of such nucleus colonies. So 

 long as bee-caps and rubber gloves are deemed 

 indispensable in his manipulations, he may not 

 hope to derive much pleasure or profit from his 

 bees. Dr. Blumhof. 



BiAscA, May 14, 1867. 



Do King-Birds Eat Honey Bees ? 



A writer in the Northern New York Journal 

 is inclined to think that they do not, and that 

 their character hasbeen unjustly aspersed. His 

 theory is that they eat the drones, but not the 

 workers. He says : 



" To fully satisfy myself that this bird when 

 so engaged, feeds only upon the drones, I have 

 watched from a covert near the scene of opera- 

 tions, and seen him catch the drone from the 

 worker bees that were swarming in every di- 

 rection, and afterwards shot him down, and ex- 

 amined the contents of a well-filled stomach by 

 the aid of a microscope. Although crushed and 

 torn, the appearance of the fragments fully as- 

 sured me in the opinion that I had observed cor- 

 rectly. The broken pieces exhibited none of 

 the distinctive parts of the worker but all the 

 peculiarities of the drone ; such as no sting in 

 the posteriors, short proboscis, prominent eyes, 

 hairy exterior, no pockets upon the legs to carry 

 pollen, &c.," 



During the present season he has watched a 

 pair of king-birds very narrowly: "Not the 

 least disposition could I discover in them to 

 feed upon this insect until called by the loud 

 humming of the drones ; this was the signal for 

 active operations. Since which time they have 

 promptly responded to each call, manifesting 

 as much correctness in their work as two boys 

 spearing fish from a shoal by torchlight." 



NoAV, the drone can only be a honey bee in 

 the sense that he eats it voraciously, and if the 

 correspondent's induction is wide enough to 

 prove his case, all bee fanciers are called upon 

 to change their opinion and treatment of au 

 unjustly suspected friend. 



