88 PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING 



queen is then released by the bees themselves 

 eating away the candy block. In any case be sure 

 that there is no virgin or other queen in the 

 hive, or any attempt at introduction is bound 

 to end in failure. 



For commercial queen raising it is usual to 

 make up the nuclei in small hives, taking frames 

 half the size of the standard, thus economizing 

 the bees required for the fertilizing stage. ' These 

 small frames are clipped together and used as 

 ordinary standards during the early part of the 

 season, afterwards taking them apart when form- 

 ing the nuclei. System is the secret of profes- 

 sional queen raising. Everything, must as far as 

 possible work smoothly, and batches of cells must 

 be continually brought forward to replenish the 

 nuclei from which fertile queens have been sold. 

 This branch of apiculture is not for beginners, 

 and should be adopted very cautiously and gradu- 

 ally, extending operations as the demand increases 

 and experience ripens. 



In the presence of disease, the hands should 

 be well washed with carbolic soap between the 

 examination of one stock' and another, and the- 

 appliances should be disinfected with a twenty- 

 five per cent, solution of carbolic acid. If your 

 stocks are healthy it is a most unwise thing to 

 introduce fresh blood into the apiary at the 

 present time. Many thriving apiaries have been 

 ruined by neglect of this precaution. 



