INTRODUCING QUEENS WITH THE " WEST " CAGE * 



ISToAH D. West, Middlebueg, N. Y. 



Close tlie large end of the cage with a piece of common stick 

 candj one and one-half inches long, and attach the cage to one 

 side of a comb within the hive, by means of its spur. The candy 

 stopper may be varied in length according to the length of time 

 you wish the queen to remain caged, and may be kept from falling 

 down in the cage by placing a nail betwen the coils of the cage at 

 the lower end of the candy. One and one-half inches is the right 

 length in most cases. The bees require about 48 hours to eat 

 out such a piece; and at the end of this time the bees are ac- 

 quainted with the queen, and are generally ready to welcome her 

 when she leaves the cage. Virgin queens, however, are more 

 difficult to introduce than laying ones; therefore the colonies to 

 which they are to be introduced should be in proper condition to 

 receive virgin queens. 



First, get sticks of hard candy — that is, small enough to slip 

 easily into the large end of the spiral cage. Cut the sticks of candy 

 in pieces for cage-stoppers. Cut some pieces one inch long and 

 some one and one-half inches long. I prefer candy not too highly 

 colored. Next, have a good laying queen in the spiral cage. Then 

 remove the tin cover and slip one of the pieces of candy into the 

 large end of the cage, 11/4 inches down in the cage; then the top 

 end of the candy just comes even with the top of the cage. Be 

 sure to place a nail or a toothpick through the spiral cage just 

 below the candy, so that, when the bees eat away the candy 

 through the coils of the cage, and the candy becomes small in 

 diameter, it will not fall down on the queen. 



This being done, go to a hive that has a condemned queen. 

 Open the hive and kill the queen. Before closing the hive intro- 

 duce the new queen by hanging the spiral cage by its spur on the 

 side of a comb in some place where it will be out of the way. Be 

 careful not to press combs of honey against the cage hard enough 

 to daub the queen with honey. The cage may be laid on top of 

 the broodframes under a quilt, or on the hive bottom if desired. 



I introduce nearly all of my queens in this way with one opera- 

 tion. This saves me a good deal of time and I lose but few 



* Delivered at the Adirondack Beekeepers Convention at Glens Falls, N. Y. 



[1499] 



