The Rearing of Queens 
421 
moved. The workers remodel the cells which contain the 
eggs, making them into queen cells. 
The Hopkins method. — Another method has recently been 
recommended by Hopkins 1 for getting queen cells in quan¬ 
tity. A new comb is given to a breeding queen to be filled 
with eggs, after which it is removed, and with a sharp knife 
three out of every four rows of cells across the comb are cut 
away to the midrib, leaving every fourth row intact. Two 
of every three eggs are then destroyed as described previously, 
as well as any 
eggs accidentally 
left between the 
rows. This comb 
is now laid face 
down over the 
brood-chamber of 
a queenless colony, 
being raised above 
the top-bars of the 
hive by means of 
an empty frame or 
a specially con¬ 
structed collar. 
The sealed queen cells are shown in the accompanying il¬ 
lustration (Fig. 185). To protect the developing queens 
from cold, the horizontal frame should be covered with a 
light mat. To prevent sagging, the. comb may be supported 
by wires wound around the frame between the rows of cells. 
It is possible that when so many cells are built some 
queens are not good. 
With any of these methods the queen cells may be cut 
out and protected with a West spiral wire cell protector and 
given to a colony or small nucleus, or they may be placed 
in a nursery cage for the queens to emerge. 
Hopkins, I., 1911. The illustrated Australasian bee manual. Well¬ 
ington, N. Z. See also various journal articles by this author. 
Fig. 185. — Queen cells reared by the Hopkins 
method. 
