82 
ITALIAN BEES. 
Each nucleus should have about one quart of bees, which must 
be closed in, laying a rough board on the top and turning the 
flap to give ventilation. To prevent them from returning to 
their old stand, they must remain closed in for about thirty-six 
hours, when the entrance should be opened at sunset, the venti- 
lator turned, and the regular cover put on to retain the heat. If 
bees for the nuclei are taken from a natural swarm, or brought 
from the distance of a mile, they need only be confined until 
sunset. About three quarts of bees must be left with the old 
queen in the breeding hive, and it may be necessary to place 
upon it the cap of the old hive that the bees may recognize their 
old location and not enter other hives. If queen-cells are at 
hand, one should be inserted when forming each nucleus; but ll 
none can be had, leave all the nuclei until the tenth day, when 
more nuclei may be formed and a queen-cell for each taken from 
those first formed, leaving but one in each nucleus. Examine the 
nuclei often after queen-cells are inserted, as some cells may he 
destroyed or prove worthless and others be needed in then 
places. As soon as any nucleus hatches its queen, one of its 
empty combs should be exchanged for a frame of brood in the 
maggot state from the breeding hive. This will stimulate the 
queen to make her excursion to meet the drones and prevent tin 
lees from following her , in which case, unless discovered, they 
would be lost. The brood, if supplied often, will also keep up 
the strength of the nuclei. It will be found convenient to hare 
a piece of slate or board attached to each nucleus upon which to 
record its condition. When a queen becomes fertile, it will he 
known by eggs being found in the brood combs. 
