174 



Imerting QueenrCells. 



attached to a wedge-shaped piece of com'b (Fig. 77), whose 

 apex is next to the cell. A similar cut in the middle frame 

 of the nucleus, which in case of the regular frames is the one 

 containing brood, will furnish an opening to receive the wedge 

 containing the cell. The comb should also be cut away be- 

 neath (Fig. 77), so tiiat the cell cannot be compressed. Mr. 



Fig. 77. 



Root advises a circular cut (Fig 78). If two or more fine 

 cells are so close together that separation is impossible, then 

 all may be inserted in a nucleus. By close watching afterward 

 we may save all the queens. If we have used bright new 

 comb as advised above, we can see the queen move in the 

 cell if she is ready to come out, by holding it between us and 

 the sun, and may uncap such cells, and let the queen run in at 

 the entrance of any queenless hive or nucleus at once. In 

 selecting combs for queen cells, we should reject any that have 

 drone comb. Bees sometimes start queen cells over drone 

 larvae. Such cells are smoother than the others, and of course 

 are worthless. After all the nuclei have received their cells 

 and bees, they have only to be set in a shady place and 

 watched to see that sufficient bees remain. Should too many 

 leave, give them more by removing the cover and shaking a 

 frame loaded with bees over the nucleus ; keep the opening- 



