The Rearing of Queens 



425 



taking food they should be kept in a strong colony so that 

 they will be abundantly fed. If there is no honey-flow, it is 

 necessary to give the colony some sugar syrup or honey 

 daily to keep it in prime condition. The cells will be well 

 cared for in strong queenless colonies, but to keep colonies 

 queenless so long is expensive. It is a well recognized fact 

 that if a colony is divided by perforated zinc, the portion 

 away from the queen is in condition to build and care for 

 queen cells and may be considered as virtually queenless. 



Nursery cages. 



Before the queens are ready to emerge, about ten days 

 from the time of transferring the larvae, each cell may be put 

 in some sort of nursery cage 

 (Fig. 187), so that as the queens 

 emerge they will not kill each 

 other or destroy other cells. 

 As a rule individual cages for 

 each queen cell are best. If 

 colonies are ready to receive 

 them the best method is to 

 put each queen cell in a colony 

 so that there will be no neces- 

 sity for introducing adult 

 queens. 



Mating hives. 



In case it is desired to have 

 the queens mated before intro- 

 ducing them to full colonies 

 or if queens are being raised 

 for sale, the queen cells or 

 virgin queens (as most con- 

 venient) may be put in small 

 colonies, usually known as nuclei. Two types of mating 

 boxes are illustrated (Figs. 188 and 189), but it is usually 

 most satisfactory not to use too small a mating box. 



Fig. 189. — " Baby nucleus " hive 

 devised by Pratt. An introduc- 

 ing cage is in place between the 

 frames. 



