QUEEN-REARING IN ENGLAND. .^i 



got in to take the syrup. The advantage of this feeder is 

 that the three nuclei are fed at one lilling without the neces- 

 sity of opening the hive. 



Forming Nuclei. — In forming nuclei it should be borne 

 in mind that young bees are better than old ones, both because 

 the young ones are less likely to return to the parent hive, and 

 also because they will live longer. Also, unsealed brood is 

 undesirable ; it is likely to get chilled and to die, it prevents 

 the bees accepting a \'irgin, and also it provides the means 

 for rearing another queen, which is sure to be an inferior, 

 indeed a practically worthless one. But brood that is all 

 sealed is desirable, for it strengthens the bees' sense of home 

 and it adds young bees to the population after the nucleus is 

 established, such bees being very valuable should the fertili- 

 sation of the queen be long delayed by bad weather. Satis- 

 factory nuclei may, however, be made without any brood at 

 all, but this is only advised when the conditions indicate the 

 probability of early fertilisation. 



The nuclei may be supplied either with ripe queen-cells, 

 that is to say, cells from which the queens are shortly due to 

 hatch, or with queens that have already hatched. By intro- 

 ducing hatched queens the queens are old enough to be mated 

 six or less days after the nucleus was formed, whereas if cells 

 are given they are not old enough until at least eight days 

 after formation ; also, as the queens are seen before they are 

 given to the nuclei the most desirable looking ones may be 

 selected and the inferior ones rejected. Hatched queens are, 

 however, likely to be killed when introduced to established 

 nuclei, but for newly formed nuclei they are better than queen- 

 cells, because they can be introduced safely, and they form a 

 stronger incenti\-e than queen-cells for the bees of the nucleus 

 to stop in their hive. The return of bees from newly-formed 

 nuclei is indeed one of the difficulties that the queen-breeder 

 has to contend against. 



If one has two apiaries situate two miles or more apart, 

 the return of the bees may be entirely avoided by making up 

 the nuclei from colonies in the one apiary and putting them 

 out in the other. The same result may be accomplished if 

 one can establish a mating station two or more miles away 

 from one's apiary. 



