CHAPTER XII 



The Introduction of Queens. 



In order to be successful in the introduction of queens, it is 

 necessary to overcome the antagonism of the colony toward 

 a stranger. It must be borne in mind that, normally, a strange 

 bee will be recognized as an enemy or a robber and at once 

 driven out or killed. In order that the queen be welcomed 

 as a member of the community, it is necessary that she be 

 permitted to acquire the colony odor, and that she become some- 

 what familiar with her new surroundings so that she will not 

 manifest, by her own excitement, the fact that she is a stranger. 

 There are many indications of the colony odor and, in the absence 

 of proof to the contrary, it is safe to assume that the bees depend 

 upon this common odor as a means of identification of the mem- 

 bers of the community. 



There are many different methods of introduction of queens, 

 which are followed with greater or lesser degrees of success. 

 All these methods may be divided into two classes: those which 

 depend upon the confinement of the queen until she acquires 

 the common characteristics of the hive, as the cage methods; 

 and those which create such an abnormal condition and so much 

 confusion in the hive, that the undue excitement of one or more 

 individuals will not be noticed, as the smoke or other direct 

 methods. 



Under the first plan, the bees are at first antagonistic to the 

 new queen, which is recognized as a stranger, but are unable 

 to reach her because of the barrier furnished by the screen 

 covering the cage. After a time the bees recognize the fact 

 that no other queen is present in the hive, the antagonism dis- 

 appears, and she is accepted as the natural mother of the com- 

 munity. 



Under any method in the second class, the colony is thrown 

 into a state of excitement and uproar, to such an extent that the 

 agitation and fear manifested by the new queen, upon finding 



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