MILLER SMOKE METHOD 115 



Occasionally there is a colony, after being for some time 

 qiieenless or when there is a dearth of honey and the bees are 

 not in good temper, which will destroy the queen by whatever 

 method she be introduced. After a failure or two, one hesitates 

 to risk other valuable queens, and it seems advisable to unite 

 the bees with some other colony rather than to bother further 

 with then>. 



For use in the apiary where the precautions necessary in send- 

 ing bees by mail are not necessary, the Miller cage is commonly 

 used (Fig. 56). This cage has a larger opening. After the 

 queen is caught and placed in the cage she is placed in any colony, 

 simply laying the cage on top of the frames. Since the bees can- 

 not destroy her she will be safe, for strange to say they will 

 feed her through the meshes of the wire. When wanted to 

 requeen a colony or to give to a nucleus, the cage is placed in the 

 colony where she is expected to remain, until such time as the 

 bee-keeper thinks best to release her. The cork is then removed 

 and she may be allowed to escape. It is a common plan to fill 

 the opening with honey comb which will require a few minutes 

 to remove, thus giving time for the bees to become quiet again 

 after the hive is closed, before she comes out. 



The queen newly introduced is likely to be a victim of any 

 excitement in the hive, and experienced bee-keepers usually are 

 careful not to open the hives for several hours or better yet, for 

 a day or two after a queen has been introduced so that she may 

 become fully accustomed to the new conditions before being dis- 

 turbed. It is easy to ascertain whether she has been accepted by 

 examining the space in front of the hive. If she has been killed 

 she will be found on the ground in front of the hive. 



Miller Smoke Method. — During the past year there has been 

 much discussion of the value of this method. Some bee-keepers 

 report great success and feel that it is the ideal method. Others 

 report failure. Difference in conditions will account somewhat 

 for the difference in results, as any plan will work much better 



