THE REARING OF OJEKN BEES. 
23 
The Swarthmore nursery, shown 
also, but it is unfortunate that whe 
be removed to introducing cages. 
used for keeping queens on 
hand for some time after 
mating. Queens can be re- 
moved from the mating col- 
onies and stored in them for 
several weeks even, without 
any harm; and the mating 
colony can be used several 
times in that period for mat- 
ing other queens. The size 
of this nursery is very con- 
venient, and 48 queens may 
be kept in a frame, as shown 
in figure 12. In the illus- 
tration these queens were 
actually Caucasian virgins, 
emerging queens. This is not the 
queens, and the author understands 
in figures LO, 11, and 12. is excellent 
n this form is used the queens must 
This nursery is more valuable when 
Fig. 14. 
and 
— "Swarthmore" nucleus with one frame removed 
to show construction (original |. 
the nursery had been used for 
most convenient nursery for virgin 
that the originator, Mr. E. L. Pratt, 
does not so use it. 
A nursery, then, should be so 
constructed that the queen will be 
separated from the workers by 
wire cloth; should be of such a 
form that an}' style of artificial 
queen cell may be placed in it: 
should contain a place for candy 
as food for the young queen: and 
should above all be useful as an 
introducing cage. The use of a 
special introducing cage of any 
type is not generally recommended. 
Even in introducing queens re- 
ceived by mail the shipping cage Is 
as ij;ood as any "improved" intro- 
ducing cage and saves time. 
INTRODUCING QUEEN CELLS. 
Fig. 15. — "Swarthmore" nucleus with introducing 
cage (as in fig. 18) in place between the frames 
(original). 
But it may be asked, " Why not 
ntroduce queen cells directly to the 
colony where the queen is to stay until mated?" This method is all 
right where time is no object; but the queens might just as well be 
kept in a nursery until three to live days old. and thus they need not 
