THE BEGINNER IN BEE CULTURE. 19 



yard, providing they are sheltered from the hot sun, though some apiarists 

 prefer to put them in a room during the time the bees are shut in. They are 

 kept closed for three days to allow the bees to become accustomed to their 

 new home; if they are removed to an out-apiary the entrance screen may 

 be removed in about three-quarters of aa hour after being put on the stands 

 providing that a few puffs of smoke are delivered at the entrance to prevent 

 a rush on its removal. In this case, when bees are to be removed it is advisable 

 to introduce the queen after the bees settle down — generally a matter of a 

 few hours. 



If it is not desired to purchase the queens, it will be necessary to have ripe 

 -queen cells on hand to put in after the third day. If making moderate increase 

 by forming nuclei, the apiarist should take one nucleus from each selected 

 -colony. In this case it is unnecessary to put an excluder over the brood nest. 



Another Method of Increase; Dividing. 



Another method, similar to that known as the Alexander plan of increase, 

 is as follows : — 



Prepare one hive body for each nucleus colony to be divided, each contain- 

 ing frames with full sheets of comb foundation, which are interchangeable 

 with the frames, &c., contained in the brood nest. A queen excluder is 

 necessary for each colony. 



The first work in dividing is to find and cage the queen. Next, exchange 

 a frame of brood and bees for a frame of comb foimdation from the new 

 hive body, majdng sure there are no queen cells on this frame of brood. 

 Remove the old hive from its bottom board, and put on the prepared hive 

 body, now containing the frame of brood and bees; the queen can then be 

 liberated on this frame. The excluder may now be put on, and the remainder 

 of the colony put over it ; should there be any queen cells above the excluder 

 they should be removed. In five days the colony should be examined again 

 -and if any queen cells are started above the excluder the old colony should 

 be removed later in the day and the entrance blocked with grass. Do not 

 disturb the colony for two or three days, after which the cells can be 

 destroyed, and the colony wiU accept a laying queen or ripe selected cell. 



If no cells are started above the excluder the colony may remain for 

 ■another five days; this wiU give the queen a chance to have a fair start 



^below and the brood above the excluder wiU all be sealed. The old colony 



■can then be removed to a new stand, and after twenty-four hours will accept 

 a ripe selected cell or laying queen. It is advisable to introduce a laying 



-queen to prevent delay in brood raising. 



Nuclei can be formed from the old colony above the excluder if extensive 

 increase is desired, but it would be advisable to crowd the bees into the 

 two bodies containing brood above and below the excluder. This is done 

 by shaking the bees from any surplus supers apart from the brood chambers 



■and allowing them to settle down before forming the nuclei. 



S^'dney: William Applegate Oullick, Government Printor. — 192(1 



