ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 287 



the bees cannot destroy her. Before long, they will cultivate 

 an acquaintance, by thrusting their antennae through, to her ; 

 so that when she is liberated the next day, ihey will gladly 

 adopt her, in place of the one they have lost. If a hole large 

 enough for her to creep out, is closed with wax, they will 

 gnaw the wax away, and liberate her themselves, from her 

 confinement. Queens that seem bent on departing to the 

 woods, may be confined in the same way, until the colony 

 gives up all thoughts of forsaking its hive. A small paste- 

 board box with suitable holes, or a wooden mach-box 

 thoroughly scalded, I have found to answer a very good 

 purpose. 



I shall here describe what may be called a Queen Nursery, 

 which I have contrived, to aid those who are engaged in the 

 rapid multiplication of colonies by artificial means. A solid 

 block about an inch and a quarter thick, is substituted for one 

 of my frames; holes, about one and a half inches in diame- 

 ter, are bored through it, and covered on both sides with 

 gauze wire, which should be permanently fastened on one side, 

 and arranged in the form of slides, or the other for conve- 

 nience in opening. A hole should be made in the wire large 

 enough to admit a worker, and yet confine the young queen 

 when hatched. 



If the Apiarian has a number of sealed queens, and there 

 is danger that some may hatch, and destroy the others, be- 

 fore he can make use of them in forming artificial swarms, 

 he may very carefully cut out the combs containing them, 

 (p. 190,) and place each in a separate cradle! The bees 

 having access to them, will give them proper attention, sup- 

 plying them with food as soon as they are hatched, and thus 

 ihey will always be on hand, for use when needed. This 

 nursery must of course be established in a hive which 

 has no mature queen, or it will quickly be transformed into a 

 slaughter house by the bees. 



