FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES ^oo 



the wire above the top-bars, and when I want to take 

 out the cage I take hold of the wire, draw the frames 

 apart, and lift out the cage. The wire serves also to 

 mark the spot where the cage is. 



When the tube is filled with candy, it may be pushed 

 so far into the cage that the bees can not get at the 

 candy. Then when it is desired that the bees shall get 

 at the candy, the plug is drawn out until the candy is 

 exposed. This is more reliable as to time than to have 

 the usual cage with the candy covered with card-board. 

 With the card-board there is no certainty as to whether 

 the queen will be released in 24 hours or much longer. 

 Sometimes it may be several days. With the No. 3 care 

 you know just how long the bees have the cage before 

 they get to the candy, and after the candy is exposed you 

 may count on the bees clearing out the candy in about 24 

 hours. 



It may be objected that it is troublesome to open up 

 the hive to change the position of the plug in the cage. 

 That is true, and often, if not generally, the cage is nofe 

 prt between the combs, but thrust in the entrance, making 

 sure that it is where it will be protected by the bees. 

 After being there about two days, it is only the work of 

 a minute to take out the cage, expose the candy, and put 

 the cage back in the entrance. 



Sometimes, if I want to have the work done auto- 

 matically, I use a device that delays the work abort as 

 much as the card-board, but is more uniform in the time 

 it takes. I thrust into the center of the tube of candy its 

 whole length a wooden splint about 1-16 of an inch 

 square, and that delays the bees at gnawing out the 

 candy. 



When a queen-cell is to be caged, the No. 2 cage 

 allows more room for the cell. 



For making queen-cages, instead of the common 

 painted wire-cloth that is used for screen doors, I like 

 better extra heavy bright wire-cloth. It is more sub- 

 stantial. But E. R. Root says queens have been poisoned 



