June 13, 1907 



505 



American Hee Joarnaljf^^^>=^^^ j 





No. 



4,— Uniting Colonies and 

 Forming Nuclei 



BY K. C. AIKIN 



I have spoken of a system of man- 

 agement that calls for the uniting- of 

 bees, dividing^ and making of nuclei, 

 and of comb-building, etc. I think it 

 will be well to give some more minute 

 directions as to how these things may 

 be best accomplished. 



Uniting Colonies. 



Under some conditions to unite 

 strange bees is a very easy thing ; un- 

 der other conditions it is almost im- 

 possible without having a general row 

 and many bees killed. During a flow, 

 and when every bee has its sac full, 

 all you have to do is to unite, and it 

 may be done by setting one hive on 

 top of another, by mixing combs or 

 putting them together, so mixed that 

 there can not possibly be any two 

 crowds. 



In any process of uniting the pres- 

 ence of robber-bees is one of the worst 

 things that can happen ; and, perhaps, 

 the very next worst thing is empty 

 sacs. When a flow is on, and the day 

 is far enough advanced that both 

 fielders and nurses are loaded with 

 nectar, and particularly the old bees 

 and fielders, they can be put together 

 in almost any way that comes handy ; 

 but if sacs are not full they should be 

 made to fill, and the less fielding and 

 the more scarce nectar is the more 

 pains should be used to get them all 

 full. If there be but little or no un- 

 sealed stores, a good way is to take, 

 say 1 to 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of honey 

 or sugar and make some sweetened 

 water, thin like fresh nectar, and with 

 this thoroughly sprinkle them. 



The directions used to say, put pep- 

 permint or something in to scent the 

 bees alike, but that is altogether un- 

 necessary ; it is of far more impor- 

 tance to get the sacs full — full bees do 

 not attack anything, neither man nor 

 each other. A podded abdomen can do 

 little in combat ; stufi'ed bees seem to 

 think of nothing but to get to where 

 they can unload, and by the time that 

 is done the odor and acquaintance is 

 completed. I have made thousands of 

 unions when bees were full, and with 

 uniform success. In my early experi- 

 ence I lost many bees and queens be- 

 cause I did not see to the full-sac part 

 of the matter ; but when properly filled 

 all went well. 



Sprinkling with cold water until they 

 want to cluster close, to get warm, will 

 also make them forget to fight. Ex- 

 posure to cold wind until they are ready 

 to hunt a warm place is also effective. 



Just so sure as you put them together 

 without full sacs, or chilling, or a thor- 

 ough smoking, there will be almost 

 certain war. Uo not forget the matter 

 of robber-bees. If robber-bees are dip- 

 ping in, the bees that belong there do 

 not know one stranger from another — 

 they tackle any and all. 



When uniting two lots of bees, where 

 one hive is to be set on another the 

 work may be done very quickly and 

 safely by putting a wire-cloth between 

 for a day or two, or a cloth with a 

 small hole through which they can 

 unite very slowly, and most of it done 

 after they have become settled after 

 the excitement of handling is over. 

 Outside of a time of nectar-gathering 

 unite late in the day or evening ; or, if 

 early, do it when cool or rainy, or at a 

 time they will not fly until they have 

 become settled. When all are well 

 loaded, I unite in any kind of way. 



Forming Nuclei. 



When one wants to make a nucleus 

 colony, and get about so many bees in 

 a hive to stay, that is not so easy if 

 the work be done in one yard. Then 

 much depends upon whether a queen 

 or queen-cell be taken with the nucleus. 

 If a cell, it also makes a difference 

 whether it be ripe, or one not so far 

 advanced. A cell that is so far ad- 

 vanced that the queen is moving about 

 in it, and about to proceed to cut out, 

 the bees will stick by it much better 

 than a less-developed one. 



Then there is the question of the 

 number of very young bees. Young 

 will stay where old ones will not. I 

 try to select combs with a large num- 

 ber of very young bees on it, and also 

 take the brood that is to be with the 

 nucleus of that well-ripened, and many 

 bees hatching and about to hatch, and 

 then shake in about twice as many 

 bees as desired. 



If you have a colony that has young 

 queens just hatching, you have one of 

 the very best conditions for making 

 nuclei ; such a colony can be divided 

 into from 4 to 8 if they have much 

 brood and bees. They seem to stay by 

 their hatching queen ; but care must 

 be taken to have them remain in the 

 hive until they are aware that they 

 have a queen. Sometimes when put 

 into a new (strange) hive they may 

 rush out before they realize that a 

 queen is with them. They will act 

 very much as a swarm that has been 

 hived without the queen; the knowl- 

 edge that a (jueen is with them goes 

 far to making; them contented. In this 

 matter full sai s alsodo much to help. 



If you have more than one yard, the 

 making of nu lei is a very easy matter. 

 Suppose yo I ^: ;■ to an out-yard to work, 

 and can get lUC bees necessary for the 



nuclei and bring them home ; if so, 

 here is t tie best way I have ever found : 



Make some little boxes or cages as 

 follows: Out of ;^ inch or >8 stuff cut 

 2 pieces about 4x8 inches, and one 

 piece 4x4. About % inch from one end 

 of each of the 4x8 pieces make a saw- 

 kerf about half through the board, 

 using a thin-bladed saw. Nail the 

 4x8 pieces on the ends of the 4x4, as 

 though you were making a box, but 

 turn the saw-kerfs in and away from 

 the 4x4 end. 



Cut 2 pieces of wire-cloth 4j>xS, and 

 fold over each end so they will be 

 about 7' . inches long ; then nail these 

 on the 2 open sides of the box, using 

 thin strips of wood over the wire in- 

 stead of putting them on with tacks ; 

 and put a piece of wood ,'4x1 inch, and 



Nucleus Box or Cage. 



as long as the outside measure of the 

 box across each end over the wire- 

 cloth, to stifl'en them at the open end, 

 nailing one flush with the ends of the 

 side pieces, and the other dropped 

 down until its upper or outer edge is 

 just even with the inside of the saw- 

 kerfs. With some small tacks, or by 

 putting on a cleat of tin or a strip split 

 from a broken section, nail the wire- 

 cloth snug to the inside of these 2 cross 

 cleats. 



You now have a box 4x8 inches, with 

 2 wooden and 2 wire sides, a wooden 

 end and an open end. Cut a piece of 

 tin just wide enough to slip into the 

 saw-kerfs in the open end of the box, 

 and long enough so that when it is 

 shoved clear through snug against the 

 cleat on the opposite side, it will stick 

 out about a half inch ; then roll or 

 bend at right angles this extra half- 



