G96 
QUEEN-RE A RTNG 
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Fig. 2.—Scooping the bees with a small dipper into baby nuclei. 
from four or five colonies, but generally 
from a dozen or more hives. This box of 
bees is then taken to the queen-rearing 
yard, where the nuclei are to be formed. 
Four of the twin baby hives are first placed 
upon a little light stand, each filled with 
empty combs ready to receive the bees, 
entrances closed, and ventilators opened. 
The hive-body containing the shaken bees 
is then placed conveniently near. They are 
wet down with a spray, then given a jar so 
as to get the bees down in a mass in the 
bottom. With a little tin dipper are scooped 
up approximately four ounces of bees, 
which comprise from 1,000 to 1,200 indi¬ 
viduals. As the bees have been previously 
wet down they can not fly very readily, and 
can therefore be scooped up a la Pratt and 
dumped in one of the compartments as 
shown in Pig. 2. An attendant stands 
ready with a number of virgin queens. He 
removes one of the frames of one compart¬ 
ment, and, while the apiarist is scooping up 
a dipperful or two of bees and dumping 
them in the space made vacant by the re¬ 
moval of the frame, he drops in a virgin 
queen just dipped in water. He now puts 
in the removed frame and folds back the 
enamel cloth. The operation is repeated in 
the other compartment of the box, and so 
on the process is continued until all of the 
twin mating-boxes are filled with bees and 
virgin queens. The baby hives are then set 
to one side for about 48 hours, when they 
are placed on their permanent stands for 
the summer. Their entrances are opened 
at night. The next morning, as the bees 
come out they will mark their location and 
begin housekeeping with their baby queen. 
After the baby nuclei are in full opera¬ 
tion ripe queen-cells in place of virgins are 
given. The two frames are spread a little 
apart when the cell is placed in position. 
At the time of forming these baby nuclei, 
a thick syrup of about 2% parts of sugar 
to one of water is poured into the feeder 
compartment at one side. At other times, 
if it is a little cool it is given at night, hot, 
when it will all be taken up before morn¬ 
ing. This feeding may be required off and 
