INTRODUCING. 



288 



INTRODUCING. 



iiiusl be lo them a very great disturbance in 

 having their lionie torn to pieces. 



There are several sizes of these lieiiton 

 cages— the hirger ones being used for longer 

 distances. The one shown at top of page 

 287 is good for 1000 miles through the mails, 

 although very often used for twice that dis- 

 tance. This may be called a combination 

 mailing and introducing cage. Ordinarily, 

 if we have much introducing to do we prefer 

 something especially adapted to the latter 

 purpose alone; we have, thex'efore, used with 

 a great deal of satisfaction the Miller intro- 

 ducing-cage. 



As many of the readers of this work may 

 possibly do something at mailing queens, it 

 might be well to add a word about making 



PUTTIXG QUEEN AND BEES IN EXPORT 

 BENTON MAILING-CAGE. 



the candy for Benton cages. This should 

 be prepared as directed under Candy, which 

 see. It should be made several days in ad- 

 vance of the time it is expected to be used ; 

 for after it has been made it will soften 

 down and become quite sticky. If put in 

 cages in this condition it will result in the 

 death of the bees and queen before accom- 

 plishing half their journey. After the can- 

 dy has stood several days it is likely to be- 

 come soft again, when more sugar should be 

 kneaded in. It would be better then to let 

 it stand two or throe days, and then, if neces- 

 sary, knead in more sugar until it holds its 

 consistency so that the dough is stiff, moist, 

 and mealy. This is important. It should 

 then be crowded into the candy hole or can- 

 dy end, as we call it, and then the hole in 

 the end over which the pasteboard is to be 

 tacked should be plugged full of candy, after 

 which the pasteboard may be nailed on. 



The manner of lilling a cage tor mail- 

 ing is to i)ick it u]) with the left hand in 

 such a, way that the tliumb covers the hole 

 over which the perforated metal has been 

 nailed, but which, before the time of filling, 

 should be revolved around on one side or ta- 

 ken off entirely. The queen is first to be 

 picked up by the wings, her head pushed 

 into the hole as far as possible. After she 

 runs in, place the thumb over the hole. 

 Worker-bees are next picked up in a similar 

 manner, and poked in, selecting those that 

 are filling with honey from open cells until 

 there are a dozen bees. If the cage is larger, 

 two dozen may be used : and if it is extra 

 large, four or live dozen. When cages are 

 mailed during cold weather there should be 

 more bees put in, to help keep up the animal 

 heat. During hot weather a dozen bees are 

 quite sufficient in the smallest Benton cage, 

 which is ordinarily mailed for a cent. 



miller's introducing-cage. 



It is very convenient to have in the apia- 

 ry small special cages for introducing and 

 holding queens that come out with swarms 

 until they can be introduced or disposed of. 

 The one below illustrated is the best of any. 

 It is especially handy for introducing young 

 virgins. The cage is so flat it can slide in at 

 the entrance without even removing the 

 cover of the hive, and the bees will release 

 the queen by the candy method. Y et for in- 

 troducing fertile or valuable queens we rec- 

 ommend inserting it between two combs 

 and drawing them together until they hold 

 the cage. The queen thus acquires the scent 

 of the combs, brood, and the cluster, and 

 hence when released will be more likely to 

 be accepted. 



This cage, like the Benton, will give very 

 much better results if a piece of pasteboard 

 is nailed over the end. This the bees will 



---^^zz^^'^ ^^L^^i^^^^^i^i^^^^^i \ 



gnaw away, gaming access to the candy, 

 which they eat out. Since we discovered the 

 value of the pasteboard used in the manner 

 stated, with either the Benton or the Miller 

 cage we are able to introduce 99 per cent of 

 all queens, providing, of course, the colony 

 has not been queenless more than four or five 

 days. One that has been without a mother 

 longer may get to depending on cells; and 

 when the work has so far progressed they are 

 liable to destroy the introduced queen and 

 await the hatching of one of the virgins. 



