the comb, which is built by the bees from a sheet of embossed bees- 
wax (foundation) that is secured at the top in the groove provided 
and is fastened to the wires. This is done by pressing the: wires into 
the foundation, or, which is far better, the wires are embedded 
Fig. 10. Electrical wire imbedder (Root). 
by an electrical device (Fig. 10) which heats a section of the wire, 
and by a rocking motion the current is transferred to other sec- 
tions as each beomes sufficiently heated. This causes the wire to 
sink into the softened wax. A full sheet of medium brood foundation 
should be used rather than a narrow strip. It frequently occurs when 
only a narrow strip of foundation, called a starter, is used in the 
frames that the bees build much drone size comb. This is most likely 
to occur if the queen is not a vigorous one. As a rule, so long 
as the queen produces eggs rapidly enough to use cells for eggs 
as fast as the bees build them, worker comb will-be built; other- 
wise, the tendency is to build drone or store-size cells. To insure 
the greatest amount of worker-size cells in the colony, which is 
desirable, a full sheet of foundation should be used in the frames. 
This is to reduce the number of drones, since the foundation is 
embossed with the rudiments of cells of worker size and, with rare 
exceptions, the bees follow the pattern and build worker comb. It 
also insures greater regularity of combs. 
As sent from the factory the frame end-bars are pierced so 
that the top wire is three-fourths inch below the top bar. Much better 
results follow when this wire is but one-fourth inch below the top 
bar. When go placed and the foundation is electrically imbedded, 
fastening the foundation in the groove is unnecessary. 
That part of the hive which rests on the bottom board and con- 
tains the ten frames is known as the brood chamber. In it the 
bees rear their young and store honey for their use when collecting 
is not possible. That portion of the combs in the brood chamber 
occupied by brood is known as the brood-nest. Sometimes a second 
chamber is used for brood, and it is then a two-story brood chamber. 
This is becoming a common practice, as it gives a larger space for 
the activities of the queen, results in a larger force of bees being 
reared and, as a consequence, a larger crop of surplus honey. 
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