158 



DR. MILLER S 



when you give a virgin that has left her cell you know just what 

 you are giving. 



Q. Would you advise one-pound packages of bees rather than 

 1, 2 or 3-frame nuclei? 



A The same number of bees will, of course, be worth more 

 with frames of brood than without; but considering the expense 

 01 expressage on combs, it is likely that a given amount of money 

 put in bees without combs will be better than the same money 

 put in nuclei. 



Q. Is there any trouble with robber-bees bothering new 

 nuclei? 



A. I came pretty near saying always. I'll modify that by say- 

 ing always if honey is not yielding, and care should be taken, 

 even when it is yielding, 



Q. Is it p.ossible to winter a 4-frame nucleus packed with chaff 

 in an outside case on the summer stand? 



A. It might succeed and it might not. Something depends 

 upon the severity of the winter, and the sheltered location. 



Q. Through my carelessness and a poor season I have two 

 weak nuclei at the commencement of cool weather, which I am 

 desirous of wintering over, as they are headed by two of my best 

 queens. How shall I best winter them over? They are of about 

 3-frame strength. In this locality people winter bees out-of-doors 

 altogether. Our winters are, as a rule, rather open. Sometimes it 

 goes to zero, but that is seldom. The bees have a flight about 

 every two or three weeks. 



A. One way is to winter both in the same hive. Put in a di- 

 vision-board that separates the hive in two equal parts, and put 

 the nuclei in these two parts, each nucleus up against the di- 

 vision-board, so that they may have the advantage of the mutual 

 heat from each other. It is possible they might winter through 

 in separate hives, if the hives are well protected. Strengthening 

 each nucleus by giving brood and bees (bees alone if the brood 

 has all hatched out) from other colonies will help their chances 

 if you should try to winter them in separate hives. 



Q. Can a nucleus be wintered on top of a strong colony by 

 placing a queen-excluding board between? That is, put two or 

 three 1 or 2-frame nuclei in a hive and put it over a strong colony 

 with plenty of honey? 



A. I don't know that anyone has ever tried exactly the thing 

 you mention. Something like it is done in the Alexander method 

 of putting d weak colony over a strong one in the spring; but in 

 that case it is not continued more than three or four weeks. If 



