726 



velopment from several different strong 

 colonies, with adhering bees, being sure not 

 to get a queen with them, and put them in 

 the upper story, spacing three combs on 

 each side of the hive normally, putting the 

 seventh one in the center of the space left. 

 This will give just the right space on each 

 side of the center comb for a frame of pre- 

 pared queen-cells. In less than an hour 

 these spaces will be full of clustered bees, 

 and hence an ideal condition will have been 

 brought about as well as an ideal place for 

 the reception of embryo queen-cells. 



The mixing together of bees from differ- 

 ent colonies, together with the fact that the 

 brood in the seven combs put above a hon- 

 ey-board is decreasing every moment, pro- 

 duces the superseding impulse upon the 

 bees in that part of the hive, and therefore 

 gives the finishing touch to a perfect con- 

 dition for the development of as good 

 queen-cells as bees can produce. In my es- 

 timation a colony prepared as here describ- 

 ed is near perfection. At times I have had 

 100 per cent of the cells given to such colo- 

 nies accepted, abundantly fed, and complet- 

 ed ; but, as a general rule, when twenty cells 

 are given, about ninety per cent of them are 

 completed. Where more than twenty cells 

 are given at a time a less per cent are ac- 

 cepted; and where less than twenty are 

 given, a greater per cent will be accepted 

 and completed. 



These cell-building colonies can be kept 

 in the same idenl condition all thru the 

 season by removing the cells three days 

 after they are given to them; at the same 

 time giving a fresh lot of prepared cells. 

 Two full combs of brood with adhering bees 

 should be given to the upper story once a 

 week, removing the full combs of honey as 

 fast as filled, so that no crowded condition 

 will be noticed by the bees. In putting in 

 empty combs, care should be taken never to 

 put a fresh extracted comb, wet with honey, 

 into the upper story of cell-building colo- 

 nies; for fresh feed of any kind given in (he 

 super of such colonies means destruction to 

 many unsealed cells; and all open cells are 

 neglected for a time sufficient to damage 

 them, while the bees are rushing about in 

 an excited manner, taking care of the new- 

 ly found sweet. 



Every third day the cells are removed 

 from cell-building colony No. 1, the jelly in 

 one of them being used in preparing 20 

 new cells which are given in the place of 

 the ones removed. If the bees of No. 1 are 

 allowed to finish cells the superseding im- 

 pulse wanes to some degree every time they 

 do so. and hence the ideal condition is lost; 

 but if they are not fillpweil to flnigh any 



GLEAiJINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



cells at all, it is an easy matter to keep the 

 superseding disposition up to the maximum 

 degree all thru the season. 



By this method seventeen cells are secured 

 from one colony of bees every three daj's 

 without the loss of a pound of honey from 

 any part of the apiary, and such cells are 

 as good as can be produced by any known 

 plan. 



The frames of cells, with adhering bees, 

 should be carefully taken out of cell-build- 

 ing colony No. 1, and placed in colony No. 

 2, where they are finished. Colony No. 2 is 

 prepared the same as No. 1, except it has 

 only three eomljs of brood in the upper 

 stor}^ in all stages, the remaining four combs 

 being partly filled with honey. It is a sim- 

 ple mathematical problem to find the num- 

 ber of eell-building colonies needed to sup- 

 jily the amount of cells required. 



HOW THE CELLS ARE LOCATED. 



The best device for holding queen-eells is 

 like a division-board, 1/2 inch thick by 3I/2 

 wide. The bottom edge is dipped several 

 times in melted beeswax so as to form a 

 thick film of wax on it. The cell cups are 

 molded on a cell-stick as per the Doolittle 

 plan, and are fastened to wooden cell-blocks 

 by pressing the base of the cell against one 

 end of the block when taken from the melt- 

 ing wax the last time in forming it, then the 

 cell and the block together are dipped into 

 tlie melted wax again, thus securelj' fasten- 

 ing the cell to the block, and forming a film 

 of wax all over the block. Then once more 

 the end of the block is dipped in the wax so 

 as to make a still thicker film of wax on it, 

 making the cell and block ready for use. 



The wooden cell-blocks are made of white 

 pine or redwood, Vo inch thick by % inch 

 long. There is no need of a cavity in them 

 for the cells. 



GRAFTING THE CELLS. 



After the cells have been provided with 

 royal jelly, transfer the larvae 24 hours old 

 with a tiny wooden brush made by chewing 

 the point of a tooth-pick a little. With this 

 kind of transferring-needle quite a bit of 

 jelly can be dipped up with the little larvae 

 if they have been as abundantly fed as they 

 should be. (I would not breed from a queen 

 whose bees do not float the tiny larvae in 

 jelly.) 



Next press the waxed end of the cell- 

 blocks into the wax on the edge of the cell- 

 bnavd, giving them a little turn with the 

 thumb and fore finger at the time, so as to 

 fasten them securely there. Twenty cells 

 can be put on one cell-board; but it is better 

 to use two cell-boai'ds, putting ten one inch 

 apart centrally on each board, then quickly 



