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 | 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 
