Forming Nuclei. 337 



breadth and thickness, and made to contain from four to 

 six frames of corresponding size. Tliese frames are filled 

 with comb. I have for several years used the first named 

 style of nucleus hive, and have found it advantageous to 

 have a fev^ 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 

 entrances to the two end chambers are 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 

 different 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 returning from their 

 wedding tour. It seems from experience that the queen 

 is more influenced by position than by color of hive in 

 returning to it from mating. Who that has watched his 

 bees after moving a hive a little one side of its previous 

 position — even if only a few inches — can doubt but that 

 the same is true of the worker-bees. These hives I use to 

 keep queens in during the summer. Except the apiarist 

 engage 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 pre- 

 pared for prospective summer use, for my nuclei. 



Mr. E. M. Hayhurst, one of our best queen breeders, 

 uses the full size Langstroth frame, in full sized hives, for 

 queen-rearing, while Mr. Root uses the same frames in 

 small special hives which hold three frames. These (Fig. 

 85) he fastens high up on his grape-vine trellises, just back 

 of his other hives, which can be used for seats as he works 

 with the nuclei. 



We now go to different hives of the apiary, and take 

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



