108 INCREASE 
The field force will be about cyually divided between the two 
hives. The one in which the old queen remains will build up 
much more rapidly than the colony that must rear a new one. 
While this plan may serve in an emergency, it is not to be recom- 
mended for general practice, as are none of the plans of increas- 
ing without additional queens, as too much time and energy is 
lost on the part of the colony in replacing the queen. If the 
honey crop is not to be considered, and increase alone is desired, 
then these plans might be permissible, but even for this purpose 
so much greater results can be obtained by rearing the queens in 
advance that it is the best practice. 
Forming Nuclei.—When it is desirable to make increase in 
quantity, the best plan, perhaps, is to break up strong colonies 
for the purpose, and make as many divisions as possible without 
hope of their gathering any surplus honey. In this way rapid 
increase may be made with fairly satisfactory results. 
To begin with, take the queen and one frame of brood from 
a strong colony, and add another frame of sealed brood from 
another colony, to give her enough bees with which to start house- 
keeping. Place her with the frames in a new hive in a new 
location, and shut the hive tight with grass to prevent her bees 
from returning to their old stand. If the weather is extremely 
hot there is danger of smothering, and in that case the bees can 
be placed in the cellar instead. .\t the end of two or three days 
if the bees have not gnawed out, the grass may be removed in the 
evening, after the bees have stopped flying (Fig. 55). 
After the queen is removed the old hive should not be dis- 
turbed for several days. .\t the end of ten days the young brood 
will all be sealed, so there is a minimum of danger of loss of 
young bees. .A number of ripe queen cells will also be present 
in the hive. If there are six frames of brood, it may be divided 
into three parts, placing two frames of brood in each hive. Care 
should be used to sce that each hive contains at least one good 
queen cell. Empty frames may be added and the hives placed 
in the cellar or closed up tight with grass as before for two or 
