NUCLEUS SWARMING. * 131 



THE NUCLEUS SYSTEM OF SWARMING. 



" The introduction of a mature fertile queen to a colony tioo 

 weeks sooner than when they swarm naturally, is an advantage 

 sufficient to pay for extra trouble. The time gained in breeding 

 is equivalent to a swarm." — M. Quinby. 



In swarming bees on this system, we first rear a queen in a 

 small cluster — nucleus — of bees, allowing the nucleus hive to 

 remain in its place until the queen becomes fertile, when we 

 swarm the bees by simply causing the two hives to exchange 

 places. Unlike natural swarming, the old queen remains in the 

 parent stock, and its labors go on scarcely interrupted. The 

 system is based upon the well known law, that bees, after 

 luxuriating upon the flowers, will return to the exact spot of 

 their old habitation. 



Form a nucleus from an Italian or other populous stock by 

 blowing a few whiffs of smoke into the entrance, and opening 

 the hive, select a frame of comb containing capped brood, but 

 especialy plenty of eggs and young larvae. After looking this 

 over carefully, lest the old queen be removed, place it with its 

 adhering bees in the empty hive, and next to it another comb 

 containing honey, which will afford protection to the brood and 

 food for the bees. As many of the old bees will return to the 

 parent stock, give the nucleus hive at least a quart of bees and 

 get it on a new stand two or three rods distant. Contract the en- 

 trance so that but one or two bees can pass at the same time, and 

 set a feed pan on the frames, or a sponge filled with sweetened 

 water will supply their wants until the young bees go to work 



