OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 281 



NUCLEI. 



A nucleus is simply a miniature colony of bees — a hive 

 and colony on a small scale — for the purpose of rearing- and 

 keeping- queens. We want the queens, but can afford to each 

 nucleus only a few bees. The nucleus hive, if we use frames 

 not more then one foot square, need be nothing more than an 

 ordinary hive, with chamber confined by a division-board to 

 the capacity of three frames. If our frames are large, then it 

 may be thought best to construct special nucleus hives. These 

 are small hives, which need not be more than six inches each 

 way, that is, in length, breadth and thickness, and made to 

 contain from four to six frames of corresponding size. These 

 frames are filled with comb. I have for many years used the 

 first-named style of nucleus hive, and have found it advanta- 

 geous to have a few long hives made, each to contain five 

 chambers ; while each chamber is entirely separate from the 

 one next to it, is five inches wide, and is covered by a separate, 

 close-fitting board, and the whole by a common cover. The 

 entrances to the two end chambers are at the ends near the 

 same side of the hive. The middle chamber has its entrance 

 at the middle of the side near which are the end entrances, 

 while the other two chambers open on the opposite side, as far 

 apart as possible. The outside might be painted different col- 

 ors to correspond with the divisions, if thought necessary, 

 especially on the side with two openings. Yet I have never 

 taken this precaution, nor have I been troubled much by losing 

 queens. They have almost invariably entered their own 

 apartments when returning from their wedding-tour. It seems 

 from observation that the queen is more influenced by position 

 than by color of hive in returning to it from mating-. Who 

 that has watched his bees after moving a hive a little one side 

 of its previous position — even if only a few inches — can doubt 

 but that the same is true of the worker-bees. These hives I 

 use to keep queens in during the summer. Except the apiarist 

 engage in queen-rearing extensively as a business, I doubt the 

 propriety of building such special nucleus hives. The usual 

 hives are good property to have in the apiary, will soon be 

 needed, and may be economically used for all nuclei. In 



