238 starting Nuclei. 



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

 as we have queen-cells to dispose of. The bees should be 

 left adhering to the frames of comb, only we must be cer- 

 tain that the queen is not among them, as this would take 

 the queen from where she is most needed, and would lead 

 to the sure destruction of one queen-cell. To be sure of 

 this, we never take such frames till we have seen the queen, 

 that we may be sure she is left behind. It is well to close 

 the nucleus for at least twenty -four hours, so that enough 

 bees will surely remain to cover the combs, and so prevent 

 the brood from becoming chilled. 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, till they shall have sufficient to preserve a proper 

 temperature. Such special articles about the apiary are 

 costly and inconvenient. I believe that I should use hives 

 even with the largest frames for nuclei. L. C. Root, who 

 uses the large Quinby frame uses the same for his nuclei. 

 In this case we should need to give more bees. Twenty- 

 four hours after we have formed this nucleus, we are 

 ready to insert the queen-cell. We may do it sooner, even 

 at once, but always at the risk of having the cell destroyed. 

 To insert the queen-cell — for we are now to give one to 

 each nucleus, so we can never form more nuclei than we 

 have capped queen-cells — we first cut it out, using a sharp 

 thin-bladed knife, commencing to cut on either side the 

 base of the cell, at least one-half inch distant, for we 

 must not in the least compress the cell, then cutting up 

 and out for two inches, then across opposite the cell. This 

 leaves the cell attached to a wedge-shaped piece of comb 

 (Fig. 93), 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 i-eceive the wedge containing the cell. The 

 comb should also be cut away beneath (Fig. 93), so that 

 the cell cannot be compressed. Mr. Root advises a circu- 

 lar cut (Fig. 93). Of late I have just placed the cell 

 between two frames, and succeed just as well. If two or 

 more fine cells are so close together that separation is 

 impossible, then all may be inserted in a nucleus. By close 



