152 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



colony in the manner just described for making a 

 preliminary division, being careful to observe in 

 which hive the queen is placed. Now take the queen 

 cell or embryo queen, cut a square hole in a central 

 position in one of the combs, to correspond in size 

 with the square piece to which the queen cell is 

 attached, and insert it gently, being careful not to 

 press or bruise it ; press the wax of the surrounding 

 comb down at the edges, to prevent it from falling 

 out. The bees will soon fasten it permanently. 

 Care should be taken to place the embryo queen in 

 a position similar to that in which it was built ; place 

 the comb in the centre of the colony, close it up, 

 covering the frames with a cloth, as has been di- 

 rected. Either remove the new colony a half mile 

 or more distant, or place it at one side of the old 

 stand, as recommended in the preliminary division. 

 Great care is necessary to prevent the embryo 

 queen from getting chilled during the process ; she 

 should not be exposed to a temperature below 70 

 degrees, and that for a short time only. 



An expert apiarian will perform all this operation 

 in a very few minutes. When one division is thus 

 completed, proceed as before, taking out another 

 embryo queen and make another division, and still 

 another, until all the embryo queens have been used 

 except one, which it is necessary to leave to supply 

 the colony, which we may with great propriety call 

 a queen nursery. We will suppose this colony reared 

 six queen cells, five are removed and used to supply 

 as many new colonies and one left; thus six new 



