22 



TB- inch; one edge of the cage i^ open for its full length, leaving 

 an aper-ture 6 inches by A inch; a movable wire vsrhich passes 

 through the zinc top and bottom of the cage and is thus held 

 in position in the centre of the aperture, can be withdrawn so 

 as to permit the imprisoned queen to pass out of the cage ; the 

 flanged top of the cage permits of its being suspended between 

 two adjoining frames. The " Dome " cage consistsof a metal 

 circular rim about IJ inches in diameter, covered with a dome- 

 shaped roof of fine meshed netting ; when in use the metal rim 

 is pressed to its full depth into the honey comb. This type of 

 cage is recommended ; the bees can release the queen by eating 

 away the honey comb, thus sometimes saving the life of a 

 queen that has been overlooked. 



The "Abbott" swarm-box (Fig. 18) is intended for for- 

 warding bees by parcel post. It is a 

 56. Swarm-box. light box made of very thin wood, covered 

 with canvas, and measuring about 18 

 inches long by 9 inches broad by 9 inches deep ; the detachable 

 lid consists of a light wooden frame sheeted with perforated 

 zinc ; it rests on slips tacked to the sides and ends of the box ; 

 two light movable skeleton frames, to each of which a piece 

 of coarse canvas is attached, are fitted into position about 3 

 inches apart, as shown in the illustration ; a slip of wood is 

 wedged between them to spring them apart. The bees cluster 

 on the canvas frames. The same style of box may be made of 

 light wood; and instead of canvas sheeted frames, strips of 

 canvas held in position by cords passed through holes in the 

 box ends, may be substituted. 



Nucleus hives are only required for use in summer, and should 

 be large enough to hold four standard 

 67. Nucleus Hives, frames and a dummy. The "Abbott" 

 nucleus hive (Fig. 19), is made in two 

 parts, to take four frames and dummy, and has a detachable 

 roof high enough to permit the use of a feeder ; it costs 4s. 

 A nucleus hive may be made by any handy person by follow- 

 ing the measurements of the body-^box, dummy, and bar-frame 

 of an ordinary hive, except that the nucleus hive need only be 

 8 inches wide. An ordinary 10 or 11 frame, C.D.B. hive, or 

 one of similar type, may be temporarily converted for use as a 

 nucleus hive by inserting two dummies in it, and making an 

 entrance 1 inch by f inch half way along one side of the body- 

 box, and another in the centre of the back of the body-box ; 

 the back entrance may be formed by boring straight through 

 the back wall of the body-box at the proper height, and 

 the side entrance by cutting a passage sloping upwards through 

 the floorboard and the base of the exterior overlapping side 

 of the body-box, thus leaving the inner side wall intact. 

 Fit an alighting-board under each entrance, by tacking a side 

 of a section to a piece of wood screwed on to the hive. The 

 entrance holes may be narrowed by plugging with wood or 

 may be plugged up entirely when the hive is no longer required 

 for nuclei. The hive may be placed on legs or on a stone. 



