QUEEN-EEAEING 



115 



a quantity of bees, not necessarily all from the same 

 liive — of course no ciueen is taken with them — and 

 confines them in a box, similar to the large nucleus in 

 Fig. 55, holding five Hoffman frames. It has a special 

 lid, with a slot in it fitted with a dummy bar (Fig. 56). 

 This "dummy" is interchangeal)le with the bar from 

 the cell-frame. 



Fig. 55. Comparative view of Nucleus-boxes. 



Before confining the bees he ]n-ovides them with 

 water, pollen, and honey in a comb, after which they 

 are placed in a dark quiet cellar. When sufficient time 

 (about 3 hours) has elapsed for the liees to realise the 

 helplessness of their position, he prepares a number of 

 little wooden cell-holders liy pressing into the hollow 

 a wax cup. The cell -hoi dei's are attached to the bar of 

 the frame (Fig. 56) by sharp spikes pressed into the 

 soft pine. They are then given to the colony to j^rime. 

 After this the cups are provisioned with royal jelly, and 

 grafted with larviie from the best breeding queen. 

 (Fig. 57). 



