1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



587 



GRAFTING CELLS. 



While our artist was in Medina last 

 summer he made a sketch of the different 

 methods of grafting". In the first place, a 

 lot of wax cell cups are stuck on to a cross- 

 bar running- through the brood-frame. The 

 comb, of course, is cut away. There may 

 be anywhere from one to two dozen cells 

 in a frame; usually twelve is about as 

 man}' as the bees will handle in one hive 

 to advantage. 



The cells are stuck on to the bar by first 

 dipping the bottom of the cell cup into 

 melted wax, and quickly setting it down 

 on the wooden cross-bar while the frame is 

 turned upside down as shown in illustra- 

 tion 3. The wax is kept hot on an oil-stove. 



After having prepared a num- 

 ber of frames, the next operation 

 is to find a queen-cell having a 

 larva in it some three or four days 

 old, or at an age when there will 

 be a large amount of royal food 

 packed away in its bottom. The 

 larva is removed, and the food is 

 stirred up. 



We next go to a hive and select 

 a frame from our queen-breeding 

 colony, which has a large number 

 of eggs just hatched. This is 

 taken before a strong light, and 

 we are now all ready for the 

 grafting. With the end of a tooth- 

 pick a small amount of royal jelly 

 is dropped into a cup. Another 

 drop is put in the next cup, and 

 so on till the whole dozen cells 

 are supplied with the royal food. 

 The amount of jelly may vary 

 from the size of a No. 6 shot to a 

 BB shot; in fact, one can put in 

 as much as he pleases. Doolittle 

 recommends the size of a BB shot; 

 but we have obtained very good 

 results by using a less amount. 

 We now hold the comb up to the 

 light, showing the young larvie, 

 and pick out one individual. This, 

 is done b}' inserting- the sharp end 

 of a pick under the larva, and 

 lifting- it out. It is then gently 

 deposited in the royal jelly in one 

 of the cups. A little twirl of the 

 toothpick will dislodge it, leaving 

 it in the jelly. Another larva is 

 picked up in the same way, and 

 set down in one of the cups, and 

 so on till all are grafted. 



Where one is grafting a large 

 number of cells, the first proced- 

 ure should be to supply all the 

 cell cups with a small quantitj' of 

 royal food. When every thing is 

 in readiness, take the comb out 

 containing the selected larva;, 

 putting one into each cup. As 

 soon as a frame of cells is graft- 

 ed it should be set down into a 

 queenless colonj', or any colony, 

 in fact, that is selected for start- 

 ing cells. 



Some queen-breeders prefer queenless 

 stocks for cell-starting. Others will use 

 the upper story of a strong colony if honey 

 is coming in. Our Mr. Phillips has se- 

 cured verj' good results by using a colony 

 containing a queen; but the cell- cups them- 

 selves are surrounded by a perforated zinc 

 cage. Strange as it may seem, the bees 

 will sometimes start the cell cups even 

 while the queen is present; but as a gener- 

 al rule we have found it necessary to cage 

 the queen for a day or two to give the bees 

 a sense of queenlessness. They will then 

 start the cell cups; and after they are once 

 well going they can be put in the upper 

 story of any strong colony, and completed. 



But we are now using with considerable 



