28 QUEEN-REARING IN ENGLAND. 



queens in a very small space, thus conserving heat. Their 

 thickness scarcely exceeds half an inch, and there is no super- 

 fluous space in them. 



VII.— NUCLEI AND FERTILISATION OF QUEENS. 



A nucleus is a diminutive colony, the use of which to the 

 queen-breeder is to pro\'ide a home for the queen, from which 

 she may fly and get fertilised. 



Nucleus Hives. — Each nucleus may be placed in a 

 .separate hive of the ordinary pattern. But if many nuclei 

 are wanted it is more satisfactory to use a special nucleus 



hive made to take two 

 or three nuclei, for 

 then the nuclei help to 

 keep one another 

 warm, occupy less 

 space, cost less to 

 house, and can be 



/. 



2. 



-~ — T o' more quicklv examined 



^ j^ig 22 and fed. It is, how- 

 Arrangement of Nuclei in Hives, showing ever, important that 

 best positions tor Entrances. ^j^^ entrances should 



be some distance from one another to a\'oid the risk of a 

 returning queen entering another nucleus in mistake for her 

 own. 



Fig. 23 shows a pattern of nucleus hive that has been 

 employed in Ripple Court Apiary for some years with most 

 successful results. The hive takes three nuclei, each sup- 

 plied with three combs. It consists of an ordinary ten-frame 

 brood-chamber divided into three compartments by means of 

 two close-fitting division-boards. The entrances are 2in. 

 long and fin. deep, and are situated as far as 

 possible from one another, being arranged as shown 

 in Fig. 24. The floor consists of three boards nailed on to 

 two strong joists. No plinths are necessary on the lower 

 edges of the brood-chamber. The roof is flat-topped with 

 tlie sides descending about 2in. ; it is covered with zinc 

 or waterproof papei'. Brood-chamber and roof are painted 



