BEE-KEEPING IN HOT CLIMATES. 107 



In a warm climate the bees hatched from three sections will 

 be quite enough to form a baby nucleus. They should be given 

 one frame (section) of stores — i.e. honey or syrup, both sealed 

 and unsealed — and two frames (sections) of the combs from 

 which they have hatched, or some others containing sealed 

 brood which is due to hatch within a few days; and last, but 

 not least, a newly hatched virgin queen or a ripe queen cell. 

 These nuclei, when made up, should be placed in a warm room 

 for from two to four days (two days if we have given them a 

 queen, four days if we have given them a queen cell), the 

 entrances kept closed meanwhile with perforated zinc. 



After this time has elapsed the workers will be old enough 

 to defend their little hives, which must then be put out in a 

 shady place in the apiary, allowing, where room permits, a 

 space of about 5 feet between each nucleus, in order to avoid 

 the chance of mishaps through the queens, when returning 

 from their mating trips, entering the wrong hives by mistake 

 and thus getting killed. 



Beware of Robbing. 



A sharp look-out must be kept for robbing, and on the first 

 appearance of it the entrance of the hive attacked must be 

 reduced to such a size as will allow only one bee to pass at a 

 time. If this does not check it, the entrance of the hive 

 attacked must be closed altogether with perforated zinc for a 

 day or two. 



Baby Nuclei must always be fed, no matter what 

 the Time of Year. 



As soon as the nucleus hives have been placed in position, 

 they should be gently and regularly fed with a stimulative 

 feeder, similar to that shown in fig. 34, p. 52, except that in 

 this case a bottle holding a quarter of a pound of syrup 

 will be amply big enough, and that need only be half filled 

 and given twice or three times a week, according to the size 

 of the nucleus. When using the stimulative feeders, care 

 should be taken to see that a thin cork wad is placed betwean 

 the top of the bottle's neck and the metal cap that screws on 

 to the bottle, a piece about the size of a shilling being cut out 

 of the centre of the wad over the place where the holes have 



