i68 A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING. 



own. If the parent hive has not been furnished with 

 twin nucleus frames, the combs alone may be divided 

 and fitted into the small frames in the manner which 

 will be found described under the head of " Transferring." 

 It will then be seen that each full-sized Woodbury comb 

 will completely furnish a nucleus hive, wanting only the 

 Bees. It is, undoubtedly, an advantage that each comb 

 in the nucleus should contain plenty of brood, because, 

 as they hatch out, fewer Bees will be required to carry 

 on the work of the miniature colony ; and if it be found 

 that the Bees dwindle too fast, and the brood has 

 hatched out, change one of the empty combs for a fuller 

 one, or place any quantity of young Bees, who have not 

 flown, on the floor-board in front of the nucleus, they 

 will run in and fraternize at once. 



Young Bees may be always told by their lighter 

 colour, having a greyish look about them. When breed- 

 ing Queens, it is not safe to leave a number of sealed 

 cells together more than nine days after the first cell was 

 formed, as, should an older larva than usual have been 

 selected by the Bees for a Queen, it may hatch sooner 

 than expected, when the remaining immature Queens will 

 be sacrificed. When the young Queen hatches, let her 

 remain with the nucleus until she becomes fertile, when 

 she may be made use of either to replace another Queen 

 or to build up a new stock. The nucleus should be 

 stocked with young Bees, if possible, as they are not 

 likely to go back again to the hive of their birth, and 

 will live longer. A goodly number should be given in 

 order that the two combs may be well covered ; to ac- 

 complish the stocking, search for combs having plenty 

 of young Bees on them, then shake them in front of the 

 nucleus hive, taking care to spread a paper or cloth from 

 the entrance to the ground in such a manner as to 



