BEE MANUAL. 215 



FORMING NUCLEI. 



A nucleus colony in connection with queen-rearing is a small 

 colony formed for the special purpose of caring for a young 

 queen during her maidenhood, or until she may be required to 

 do duty in another colony. A nucleus hive, described on page 

 127, is a small hive suitable for the colony, and is rarely used 

 except for queen-rearing purposes. Some queen-breeders use a 

 very small hive, with much smaller frames than their common 

 ones for keeping their queens in till mated, but for several 

 reasons I consider it best to have but the one frame in both 

 the queen-rearing and the ordinary hives. In the first place, a 

 nucleus colony can be formed in a few minutes from any hive 

 by simply transferring two or three frames and the adhering 

 bees from it to a nucleus hive. Then again, a nucleus colony 

 can be built up at any time, or united with another, where the 

 frames are. all alike, with very little trouble. And lastly, we 

 have only the one sized frame to make. I have always used a 

 nucleus hive such as I have described, and would not care to 

 use any other. 



The required number of nucleus hives being ready — their 

 entrances covered with wire cloth to confine the bees — take 

 the frame of cells and cut out carefully all but one; then 

 return the frame to the hive until the queen shall have emerged, 

 when it may be removed and a frame of comb or of foundation 

 inserted in its place. Care must be taken that the queen cells 

 are not injured or chilled ; a small box, with some soft material 

 to lay the cells upon, is handy to keep them in until they are 

 inserted in the combs. Now go to a strong colony and hunt 

 up the queen. This is sometimes a difficult task with a 

 strong colony of black bees. If you have an empty hive 

 alongside to place the frames in after you have examined 

 them, much trouble may be saved. Having found the 

 queen, place her with the frame she is on in a hive by 

 herself for the time being, and insert a queen cell in each 

 of the other combs as you take them from the hive, remember- 

 ing that you require some brood, a fair number of bees, and a 

 fair share of honey in each nucleus. I usually put either one 

 pretty full frame of brood, or two that are not so well filled, 

 with the adhering bees, and a frame with honey, which may 



