166 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



contain from four to six frames of corresponding size. These 

 frames are filled with comb. I have for the last two or three 

 years used the first named style of nucleus hive, and have 

 found it advantageous to have a few long hives made, each 

 to contain five chambers, while each chamber is entirely 

 separate from the one next to it, is five inches wide, and 

 is covered by a separate, close-fitting board, and the whole by 

 a common cover. The entrance for the two end chambers is 

 at the ends near the same side of the hive. The middle 

 chamber has its entrance at the middle of the side near which 

 are the end entrances, while the other two chambers open on 

 the opposite side, as far apart as is possible. The outside 

 might be painted difierent colors to correspond with the 

 divisions, if thought necessary, especially on the side with 

 two openings.- Yet I have never taken this precaution, nor 

 have I been troubled much by losing queens. They have 

 almost invariably entered their own apartments when return- 

 ing from their wedding tour. These hives I use to keep 

 queens during the summer. Except the apiarist engages in 

 queen-rearing extensively as a business, I doubt the propriety of 

 building such special nucleus hives. The usual hives are good 

 property to have in the apiary, will soon be needed, and may 

 be economically used for all nuclei. In spring I make use of 

 my hives which are prepared for prospective summer use, for 

 my nuclei. Now go to different hives of the apiary, and take 

 out three frames for each nucleus, at least one of which has 

 brood, and so on, till there are as many nuclei prepared as 

 you have queen-cells to dispose of. The bees should be left 

 adhering to the frames of comb, only we mvst be certain that 

 the queen is not among them, as this would ta,ke the queen from 

 where she is most needed, and would lead to the sure destruc- 

 tion of one queen-cell. To be sure of this, never take such 

 frames till you have seen the queen, that you may be sure 

 she is left behind. I usually shake off into the nucleus the 

 bees from one or two more frames, so that, even after the old 

 bees have returned, there will still be a sufficient number of 

 young bees left in the nucleus to keep the temperature at a 

 proper height. If any desire the nuclei with smaller frames, 

 these frames must of course be filled with comb, and then we 

 can shake bees immediately into the nuclei, as given above, 



