April 19, 1906 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



343 



* Contrtbuteb * 

 Special Ctrttcles 



1 



Nucleus Method of Queen-Rearing 



BY F. GREINER. 



THIS branch of apiculture is one of the most interesting 

 ami. to me. most fascinating branches of our pursuit. 

 Tins h due in a great measure to the progress we have 

 made in late years. Our forefathers were not ignorant of 

 certain fundamental facts in regard to rearing queens, and 

 applied this knowledge in their way; but not until American 

 bee-masters took up this work, giving it their undivided atten- 

 tion, that methods were brought out which put everything 

 previously known "in the shade." 



The discovery that larvae could be transferred from one 

 cell to another without harm to the developing insect was 

 made by a German bee-master during the first years of my 

 bee-keeping — about 30 years ago, if I remember rightly. It 

 seemed to be a frequently occurring trouble that colonies re- 

 fused to rear queens or start cells over given brood, and the 

 advice given at that time m order to outwit these obstinate- 

 bees was to remove the larva: from the cells which they had 

 started over their own brood, and substitute selected larvae 

 from the desired type. It was found that this plan worked 

 every time, and it is my opinion that this procedure will 

 produce queens second to none. 



Priming artificial cells with royal food does verv well. 



and if we do our work well we can usually succeed in getting 

 the large majority of cells accepted. After the bees have once 

 accepted a cell and supplied it abundantly with suitajble food, 

 according to their fashion, we can then do almost anything 

 with it, and the bees will continue taking care of the inmate. 



It stands to reason that the larva which we transfer will 

 find more suitable surroundings in that queen-cell from which 

 a royal larva has just been removed than in an artificial cell 

 clumsily prepared by man's fingers. A larva placed in the 

 warm bed of another will probably not notice the change, and 

 receive not the slightest setback, but go right on and develop 

 into a most perfect queen-bee. 



I am well aware that the above is as yet largely theory. 

 It needs careful testing whether or not thus produced queen- 

 bees are any better for it. But it is quite certain that we can- 

 not make a mistake if we let our bees accept a lot of stocked- 

 up cells first, allow them to take care of the young larvae for 

 about 24 hours, then remove them and replace with just- 

 hatched larvae from our best mother-bee. I look upon this 

 method with so much favor that I have adopted it as the lust 

 plan. In all our operations with bees we must remain as close 

 to nature as possible and consistent with the object to be 

 accomplished. 



If it were possible and practical to obtain our queen- 

 cells from our best colonies, having them start the ells 

 naturally and under the swarming impulse when the honey- 

 season is on, that would be the ideal, and we will do well to 

 make the very best use of all queen-cells that are so built in 



our apiaries by our breeding colonics ; but the quantity is too 

 limited, and we do not often have them at the time when we 

 need them most; consequently we are depending upon other 

 more prolific methods, and the one outlined is a good one. 



As to the matter of mating the queens, the baby-nucleus 

 plan is all the go at present — at any rate among the queen- 

 breeders. I have tested the Pratt nucleus boxes and have 

 been successful with them, still I do not keep them in use. 

 I fear they do not take care of themselves as larger and more 

 populous nucleus colonies would do. With a larger nucleus 

 colony feeding is seldom necessary. This is an item in favor 

 of it. although the larger the more expensive. 



A few years ago I made a lot of small frames of which 

 4 fill a regular brood-frame. I can use them thus in my 

 regular hives, or I can use them separately in a small hive by 

 attaching a top-bar to each. The way I do use them is by 

 means of a sort of long-ideal hive holding 18 or 20 of them. 

 By means of division-boards, close-fitting, I can divide the 

 long-ideal hive into 4 compartments, a small entrance to each. 

 When I first made this small frame, my idea was to use them 

 in a small hive during the summer, and unite a number of 

 them, putting 4 frames into one large brood-frame. 



In practice this uniting and putting on large frames did 

 not work to my satisfaction. It was unpleasant work, and 

 took too much time. I conceived the idea that perhaps I 

 might winter these nuclei on the small frame and thus have 

 nucleus hives ready and stocked up early in the season and 

 at any time. This worked well. A few days before the 

 queen-cells are ready I slip in the division-boards, letting the 

 queen go where she will. On the third day cells are given 

 to the queenless parts ; when these queens are laying they are 

 removed, and if we desire to increase the number of our 

 nuclei the hive is moved to another place and an empty one 

 like the one moved away is put in its place. Each compart- 

 ment is fitted out with honey-combs, and at least one comb 

 of brood and bees. The flying bees or field-bees from the 

 moved hive make pretty fair nuclei and we are thus doubling 

 the number to start with. With these hives it is an easy 

 matter to have what nuclei we want to use. 



The uniting in the fall is also easy. In fact, the whole 

 matter becomes so easy that it almost runs itself. The feeding 

 can be done by giving combs heavy with honey instead of 

 liquid feed. There is no trouble in getting any of the regular 

 colonies to clean up such combs and fill them with honey 

 during the early part of the season. 



It goes without saying that these hives do not winter on 

 their summer stands, but have to be taken into the cellar; 

 but 4 of the nuclei, when they are united in the fall by re- 

 moving the division-boards, make a large enough body of 

 bees to guarantee the wintering indoors. 



I have used some empty shipping boxes obtainable at the 

 grocery store and made these long-ideal hives from them, 

 but I don't like this sort of economy. It is more agreeable to 

 have all hives uniform — nucleus hives as well as standard- 

 size hives and winter-cases— and I become more and more 

 disgusted with those I have in use. I believe we fare better 

 by using new lumber in hive-making all the way through, if 

 it does cost a little more. 



The illustration shows the little nucleus frame full of 

 comb with top-bar attached; also one frame without top-bar 

 and 3 of the top-bars lying by the side. The little staples, 

 bent over, arc the means to hold frame and bar together; the 

 reader will observe the notches cut out of the frame which 

 admit slipping the staples in place. The frame is reversible, 

 i. e., the top-bar may be attached to either side. 



The illustration also shows that 4 nucleus frames may be 

 slipped into a regular brood-frame. This feature is of value, 

 as by doing so we may have these frames filled with honey, 

 pollen and brood by any of our regular colonies, thus giving 

 us an opportunity to help and build up the nuclei when it 

 seems necessary. However, I want to say that a 4 or 5 frame 

 nucleus of this kind is in pretty good shape to hold its own 

 all through the season except winter. 



The credit for the staple-device clasping frame and top- 

 bar together belongs to Mr. Pratt, of baby-nucleus fame. 



Naples, N. Y. 



9— Dadant Methods of Honey- Production 



BY C. P. DADANT. 



THE first crops of honey that we produced with two or 

 more apiaries were of honey in small glass boxes or in 

 the Adair section-box. This Adair box was the fore- 

 runner of the "pound" section. The sections held about 3 

 pounds of honey each and were clamped together in the shape 



