Forming Nuclei. 173 



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 prepared for prospective summer usq, 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. Koot uses the same frames in small special 

 hives which hold three frames. These (Fig. 68) 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 diiiferent hives of the apiary, and take out 

 three frames for each nucleus, at least one of which 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 certain 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, never take such frames till 

 you have seen the queen, that you 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 toe 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 



