236 Nuclei, What and How Formed. 



Mr. Quinby not only advised this course, but he recom- 

 mended starting queen-cells in nuclei; but he emphasized 

 the importance of giving but very little brood, so nearly 

 all the strength of the nurse bees would be expended on 

 the queen-cells. 



After we have removed all the queen-cells, in manner 

 soon to be described, we can again supply eggs, or newly- 

 hatched larvae — always from those queens which close 

 observation has shown to be the most vigorous and prolific 

 in the apiary — and thus keep the same queenless colony or 

 colonies engaged in starting queen-cells till we have all we 

 desire. Yet we must not fail to keep this colony strong by 

 the addition of capped brood, which we may take from 

 any colony as most convenient. We must be cautious that 

 our cells -are started from only such brood as we take 

 from the choicest queen. I have good reason to believe 

 that queen-celis should not be started after the first of Sep- 

 tember, as I have observed that late queens are not only 

 less prolific, but shorter lived. In nature, late queens are 

 rarely produced, and if it is true that they are inferior, it 

 might be explained in the fact that their ovaries remain 

 so long inactive. As queens that are long unmated are 

 utterly worthless, so, too, freshly mated queens long 

 inactive may become enfeebled. However, some of our 

 queen breeders think late queens just as good. Possibly 

 they may be, if reared with the proper cautions. 



In eight or ten days the cells are capped, and the apiarist 

 is ready to form his 



NUCLEI. 



A nucleus is simply a miniature colony of bees a hive 



and colony on a small scale — for the purpose of rearing and 

 keeping queens. We want the queens, but can afford to 

 each nucleus only a few bees. The nucleus hive, if we use 

 frames not more than one foot square, need be nothing 

 more than an ordinary hive, with chamber confined by a 

 division board to the capacity of three frames. If our 

 frames are large, then it may be thought best to construct 

 special nucleus hives. These are small hives, which need 

 not be more than six inches each way, that is, in length, 



