456 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Direct Introduction of Q,ueens. 



S. SIJI3IINS. 



Having in common with many 

 others, experienced much annoyance, 

 anxiety, and loss of time, by introduc- 

 ing queens with the cage, 1 have 

 adopted a system of immediate in- 

 troduction, which proves to be not 

 only more expeditious and economi- 

 cal, but invariably certain in its re- 

 sults. 



Having often united bees witiiout 

 disagreement, by alternating the 

 combs of the respective hives, I came 

 to the conclusion that a queen on a 

 comb parading unconcernedly among 

 her own bees, would be taken no more 

 notice of than the others ; and this I 

 have, by unvarying success, proved to 

 be the case, and tlie amount of vexa- 

 tion, time, and labor, saved to myself, 

 has already been considerable. 



INTRODUCING QUEENS FR03I NUCLEI. 



Where one has spare queens in 

 nuclei, and all the frames are of one 

 size, a queen can be introduced to 

 the desired colony simply by inserting 

 the frame of comb on which she is, 

 surrounded by her own bees. 



Carry the comb from one hive to 

 another in an ordinary comb box ; re- 

 move the queen that is to be super- 

 seded (if one), and as soon as the 

 stranger, with her attendants on their 

 comb, is placed in the hive, the union 

 is certain, and there is no need to ex- 

 amine them again until their turn 

 comes in the ordinary course of ma- 

 nipulations. 



It will be observed that, instead of 

 the bees being first permitted to tind 

 out their loss, the excliange is com- 

 pleted before they are aware of the 

 fact ; and the colony is not without a 

 laying queen even for Ave minutes — a 

 great consideration, especially when 

 building up at the commencement of 

 the season. 



A queen received from a distance 

 in a nucleus hive with frames of the 

 right size, can be united, togetlier 

 with her bees, in the same way ; but 

 it is advisable that the nucleus be first 

 placed near the full colony, and the 

 bees allowed to fly. By evening they 

 will have recovered from the excite- 

 ment of the journey, when the union 

 may take place. 



QUEENS RECEIVED IN BOXES OR ON 

 ODD FRAMES. 



In the former case a queen should 

 be shaken witli her attendants into a 

 comb-box on to a comb containing 

 unsealed honey (if a comb containing 

 unsealed honey is not at hand, a little 

 Syrup can be substituted by pouring 

 it into the cells on either side of a 

 comb before it is given to the strang- 

 ers, previous to their introduction [; 

 close up securely, and leave them for 

 a few minutes, while the colony to be 

 operated upon is being deprived of 

 its queen, wlien the combs should be 

 parted at about the centre of the hive 

 or cluster of bees. The sides of the 

 combs nearest this vacant space, and 

 the adhering bees may tlien be sprayed 

 with sweetened water (not scented), 

 when the occupants of tlie comb box 



on their comb may be immediately 

 inserted, as in the first instance, and 

 all will be well. 



A queen can also be inserted alone, 

 on a comb of unsealed honey (or 

 syrup). In this case she should be 

 without food for a short time previous 

 to being placed on the comb, when 

 she will at once proceed to feed at the 

 open cells, and while doing so, can be 

 inserted (together with the comb) as 

 before. Wherever a queen may be 

 placed, whether being alone or with 

 a few attendants, she sliould be kept 

 warm ; the slightest chill being in- 

 jurious to her constitution. 



AVhere on odd frames, a queen can 

 be brushed off the comb with a good 

 number of bees into the comb box, 

 with a feather, and then united in the 

 same way. 



INTRODUCING TO HIVES WITH FIXED 

 COMBS. 



Drive the bees until the queen is 

 seen to ascend, when she must be 

 captured. Now discontinue the driv- 

 ing, and spray tlie combs, and the 

 bees left among the combs with thin 

 syrup ; turn the hive the right way up 

 on to a news sheet, raising one side 

 about 2 inches from the sheet with a 

 stone or piece of wood. The bees 

 that were induced to leave the hive 

 may now be returned, by shaking 

 them out on the sheet close to the 

 hive, and while they are rushing in, 

 place the stranger queen and her at- 

 tendants among them, and all will go 

 in and unite peaceably. 



CONDITIONS NECESSARY. 



Brushing the queen from a comb 

 with a feather, is much to be pre- 

 ferred to handling her, and if the 

 ■operation is quickly performed with a 

 light touch, she is not rendered rest- 

 less and nervous, as is the case when 

 liberated from the hand. 



Wlien introducing a queen on the 

 comb from her own hive, no syrup 

 whatever is necessary, and none 

 should be used ; but where she is tirst 

 placed on to another comb, the condi- 

 tions are different. She has been dis- 

 turbed by being turned from one box 

 or hive into another, and in some 

 cases a long journey has preceded the 

 change ; therefore it is best to use a 

 little, as advised, just to give the 

 bees something to do for a time, in 

 case any such queen should show a 

 momentary nervousness, which, how- 

 ever, will soon pass off, and no hos- 

 tility is shown towards her. 



On no account, in any instance, 

 should a queen be daubed with syrup, 

 or disturbed more than is absolutely 

 necessary, as so much depends upon 

 her appearing among her new sub- 

 jects in an unconcerned manner. 

 This is just the secret of the success 

 of this system. The queen is placed 

 where she feels at home— on a comb, 

 surrounded by a number of her own 

 bees. On the other hand, bees are 

 delighted to receive a comb of honey, 

 especially if it also contains brood, as 

 is mostly the case where the queen is 

 transferred on her original comb. 



It is a mistake to suppose that bees 

 cannot be united unless they have the 

 same scent. Wherever there is a case 



of fightinw in uniting bees, it has been 

 brought about by the new-comers not 

 making themselves at home in their 

 fresh quarters, and this attitude of 

 uncertainty and strangeness is sure to 

 bring down upon them the vengeance 

 of the original inmates of the hive. 

 This state of things is brought about 

 through the operator being ignorant 

 of the peculiarities of bees, and, 

 therefore, not proceeding with his 

 work upon the right principles of 

 management. In his hands the re- 

 sult would have been the same had 

 both lots of bees been sprayed with 

 scented syrup. 



By following the rules I have here 

 laid down, the merest novice may al- 

 ways succeed in uniting alien bees or 

 queens to any desired colony, and no 

 scent need be used in any case. 



Where the bee-keeper has no spare 

 combs, one should be taken from the 

 colony that is to receive the queen, 

 but every bee must be removed before 

 it is given to the queen and her attend- 

 ants in the comb box. 



The author very rarely uses syrup 

 in any case, and never where the 

 queen is inserted on her original 

 comb, but where it is advised, the 

 novice cannot do better than follow 

 the instructions given, when he can 

 be assured of a satisfactory result. 



IMPORTED (QUEENS. 



I would never advise that a good 

 laying queen be deposed to make 

 room for one just received from a long 

 distance. The latter will not produce 

 an egg for the tirst day or two, and 

 very few, for a time, when she does 

 begin, and will often be two or three 

 weeks before she recovers her natural 

 fecundity. Some never lay at all, 

 while others, for a time, produce as 

 many drones as workers, and soon 

 die, or are superseded by the bees, if 

 the bee-keeper does not trouble to do 

 it himself. Long confinement and ex- 

 posure are the causes of this tardy 

 development and failure of produc- 

 tion ; although, of course, there is the 

 probability that by an oversight a 

 queen may not have been mated be- 

 fore being sent out. In that case she 

 would either not lay at all or produce 

 drones only. 



Bearing these facts in mind, the 

 careful bee keeper will give imported 

 queens to nuclei, and either gradually 

 work them up to a full colony, by 

 occasionally giving frames of brood, 

 or, after a few weeks, unite them to 

 the desired colonies. Thus, the con- 

 demned and often prolific queens are 

 not displaced until the new comers 

 have had a chance of proving their 

 fertility. 



ilany a new hand buys an imported 

 queen " expecting great things from 

 her, but very often, even if given to a 

 good colony, she disappoints him. 

 The cause of so many failures and 

 bad reports is to be accounted for by 

 the fact that out of the large number 

 of queens imported, only a very small 

 percentage are really first-rate after 

 being confined and exposed to the 

 wear and tear of the journey, besides, 

 in some instances, not being accom- 

 panied with sufficient bees to provide 

 against the variations of temperature. 



