T^XAS Beekeeping. 103 



an empty comb in this hive three days before the increase is to be 

 made, so that it will be well supplied with eggs just ready to hatch, 

 and of the right age, when placed in a queen cell building colony. 

 The hive thus prepared is placed on a stand of a very strong colony, 

 which latter is removed to a new stand. About a quart of bees from 

 the strong colony is shaken in front of the newly prepared hive, care 

 being taken not to shake the queen with them. These and the field 

 bees will make a powerful nucleus to take care of the hatching brood, 

 and, thus supplied with a vast number of newly hatching bees, the 

 nucleus is in the best condition for the building of a large number 

 of extra fine queen cells, in which the larvae are supplied with an 

 abimdance of royal jelly, produced in large quantity by the young 

 nurse bees. This method is one of the best for producing large and 

 valuable queens. If a still larger number of nuclei is wanted, a num- 

 ber of such colonies may be prepared. Just before the queen cells 

 are ripe, or nearly ready to hatch, or about ten days from the time 

 the nucleus was made, as many hives are prepared as there are combs 

 containing honey and brood, and the entire nucleus is divided into 

 nine nuclei, as already described. One of the best queen cells, care- 

 fully cut from the comb containing them, is placed on the side of 

 each brood comb, in each nucleus, by pressing a hollow place with 

 the finger and laying the queen cell so that its lower end will hang 

 downward, or in the natural position, and a bent wire staple is stuck 

 over the cell and through the comb on either side of it to hold it in 

 position. The two combs are then pushed together as closely as pos- 

 sible and the nuclei carefully carried to the stands they are to occupy. 

 Care should be taken to have about an equal share of bees in each of 

 the nuclei, and nearly all the bees from the one remaining on the old 

 stand may be placed in the nuclei to be taken away, as the bees 

 that return will still leave the strongest nucleus on the old stand. 

 The entrance to each nucleus hive should be tightly filled with green 

 grass or weeds to prevent many of the old bees returning to the for- 

 mer location and at the same time to prevent robber bees from destroy- 

 ing the nucleus. ^ 



Another excellent way, especially when shallow supers are used in 

 addition to the brood nest so brood may be reared above, is to slip 

 a queen excluder between the super and the brood nest of each strong 

 colony that has a sufficient amount of brood in the super, taking care 

 that the queen is below. About ten days later, when all the brood is 

 sealed, these supers are simply lifted off and carried to the new loca- 

 tion in the apiary, where a bottom board, to receive them, has already 

 been placed on a stand. The entrances are then immediately closed, 

 with green grass or weeds, to prevent the bees from returning to the 

 old hive. At the same operation a ripe queen cell, or, better, a lay- 

 ing queen, is given to each of these nuclei, and they build up into 

 prosperous colonies immediately. The secret of the method is in ex- 

 cluding the queen from the super so that there is mostly hatching 

 brood and no young larvae to starve when the supers are removed. 

 In this way, much increase can be made from time to time throughout 

 the season, without materially depriving the old colony of its strength 

 for storing honey. 



