QUEEN-REARING IN ENGLAND. 21 



place two combs containing unsealed honey in the box and 

 then cover the box quickly before many bees can escape. A 

 funnel may be found useful for shaking the bees into the 

 box. Place the box in a cool place, and four hours later insert 

 the larvae in the cups. 



It is best to shake the bees off the combs when many are 

 out gathering honey, as then the bees taken will be chiefly 

 young nurse bees. These start the cells better than the older 

 field bees, and they are less restless in confinement. The 



Box for confining bees without brood or queen, a portion of side removed 

 to show wire-cloth bottom, b, lid, c, funnel, d, strip of wood to close slot 



in lid. 



inclusion of a few drones with the confined bees does not 

 affect the results. Formerly I employed this method exten- 

 sively, but finding less laborious methods sufficiently satisfac- 

 tory I have almost given it up. 



Whichever method of starting the cells is employed, the 

 cups should be left with the starting colony over night, and 



