602 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



handle combs than hives, therefore a fresh 

 hive is placed on a new stand, and the 

 combs and queen that we do not want are 

 carried to the fresh hive, leaving, besides 

 the bees, two full combs of honey and pol- 

 len, which, along- with two empty combs, 

 are arranged as shown in the diagi'am. For 

 vigorous cell-building use as many field 

 workers as nurses. They bring in pollen, 

 and add to the general air of prosperity. 

 Add more empty combs as needed. 



If all the bees are taken it would be best 

 to cage the queen, remove a strong stock 

 from its stand, and plr.ee the beeless hive 

 in its place. The flying bees coming home 

 make a colony, and care for the beeless 

 brood. Later in the season the preceding 

 colony of cell-builders can be utilized to 

 care for the brood and queen, so that, while 

 the fresh bees produce each batch of cells, 

 only one colony is actually in use during 

 the whole of the season. 



PREPARING THE COMB. 



Selecting a comb full of eggs, we use the 

 cap of a fountain pen to break down the 

 walls joining the cells, leaving the cells we 

 desire standing with their eggs intact. A 

 match-stick will remove the broken walls 

 and damaged cells, leaving no opportunity 

 for the bees to build two or three cells to- 

 gether. It is best to prepare the comb first 

 and place it temporarily in a super; or if 

 the colony is ready first, lay a comb of 

 brood in place till the cell comb is ready. 



After the cell-building comb is in position 

 a strip of cloth or canvas the size of the 



frame should 



CLOSTER 



IM 

 BROOD 



'-'chamber'-' 



be laid on the 

 frame, a n d 

 over the can- 

 vas a sack 

 which is tuck- 

 e d in and 

 reaches down 

 into the lower 

 hive. The 

 sack forms a 

 connecting wall between the flat comb and 

 the upright combs below. The center space 

 gives the big cluster room. 



Finish the work by marking the hive on 

 the back as follows : 16/5 A, cells due. This 

 means that the colony was prepared May 4 

 from breeder A. This allows the cells 12 

 days, and allows a margin of time for the 

 apiarist to use the cells. 



Mishaps will happen sometimes, and it is 

 well to examine. The clu.ster may not form, 

 or all the egg's may be missing; also, if not 

 enough cells are started, another colony may 

 be started cell-building. 



THE NUCLEUS HIVE. 



In this climate one needs no heavy dou- 

 ble-walled hives for the nuclei ; and as light- 

 ness and convenience are important factors 

 I looked around to secure a box needing the 

 least work to convert it to a nucleus hive. 

 Apple-boxes fill the bill, one end making 

 the two nucleus hive-ends 5 inches wide, al- 

 lowing room for a three-frame nucleus. No 

 dummies are needed when only one or two 

 frames are used. 



One of the difficulties of nuclei is robbing. 

 The Dr. Miller wire-cloth tube entrance is 

 excellent, but not convenient in use. Hence 

 we employ the same principle. Our nucleus 

 entrance consists of a %-ineh hole bored in 

 the center of 

 one end, then 

 a groove cut 

 half way thru 

 the end. Over 

 the center is 

 two-by-three- 

 i n c h screen. 

 This makes 

 an entrance 

 away from 

 the ground — a miniature alighting-board at 

 each end, and the passageway protected 

 from robbers. When desired a bit of soft 

 paper or cotton will close the ends, leaving 

 a screened entrance for ventilation. 



MAKING NUCLEI. 



If the brood has been spread according to 

 the plan I gave on page 1041, Dec. 15, 1915, 

 and repeated every two weeks, the making 

 of nuclei is simple. When bees are flying 

 freely, and most of the field workers are 

 away from home, open a stock with as little 

 disturbance as possible, taking out a comb 

 of brood and all the nurse bees, also a comb 

 of honey and bees. This should be sufficient 

 to form a nucleus. Close up the entrance 

 with soft paper, as previously mentioned, 

 for one or two days. By this method nuclei 

 can be made in tlie same apiary. The cells, 

 when cut 

 from the cell- 

 building colo- 

 ny, are insert- 

 ed into the 

 nuclei by cut- 

 ting out a 

 piece of comb and pressing the cell into the 

 apex, leaving the space below for the nurses 

 to crowd around. At the same time a cell 

 so placed is neither crushed nor torn by 

 crowding against the next comb. 



THE RECORD. 



The nucleus record, as given in a previous 

 article, I have slightly improved. The want 

 and spare columns are the same ; the simple 



