QUEEN-EEAEING 111 



PREPARING CELLS. 



Secure a piece of nice wMte drone-comb and cut it 

 down Ys, of an incli from the midrib on one side. A sharp 

 hot razor will do the work. Slice off a strip say 10 inches 

 long and wide enough to show one clear row of cells 

 (Fig. 53). Fasten an extra bar in a frame, and on the 

 underside cement the strip of comb with the shaved side 

 facing the bottom-board. The prepared frame is then 

 given to any strong colony at sundown. 



During the night the bees will build the shallow 

 drone-cells into rudimentary queen-cups, and when taken 



out during the warm hours of the following day, the 

 frame and cups are warmed to the proper temperature. 

 There is thus no chilling of the larvae as when cold cells 

 are used. Before attempting the transfer of the tiny 

 grubs, make a space to hold the cell-frame in the hive 

 superseding its queen. This precaution is to prevent 

 unnecessary exposure of the grafted cells. 



With the prepared frame go to the Italian stock and 

 select a comb containing larvae of suitable age, up to 30 

 hours old, and leave it close at hand. If the supersedure 

 colony has queen-cells with royal jelly, remove one of 

 them, and with a stick or jelly-spoon place in the cells 

 a piece of jelly about the size of the head of a match. 

 Put it neatly in the centre without daubing the sides of 

 the cup. This makes a nice soft place whereon to lay 

 the larvae which should now be lifted from the Italian 

 comb with the transferring-needle. This little food 

 supply helps to sustain the larvae until the bees begin 

 to feed them. 



