98 REARING AND INTRODUCING Q_UEENS. 



must be taken away. Make your search for her in 

 the middle of the day, as at that time most of the 

 workers are away. Use but very Httle smoke, and 

 that only at the entrance, as the bees should remain 

 spread over the combs as evenly as possible. If 

 you use much smoke they will rush to the bottom 

 and the corners of the hive, and it is very likely the 

 queen might seek a hiding-place with the others, 

 where you could not find her. If not disturbed, 

 the queen will be found in the comb among the 

 bees. When ready to proceed, having smoked them 

 lightly at the entrances (a puft' at each entrance is 

 sufficient,) lift out the comb carefully, avoiding any 

 jar, and look them over for the queen. It is said 

 the Italian queens are more readily found than the 

 natives, but I could never see any difference. Hold 

 the frame up in front of yovn" face, so as to have a 

 good view, and look each comb over carefully till 

 you find the queen. When found, remove her. 

 Always return the combs so they will occupy the 

 same position as before. 



As soon as the queen is removed, and the bees 

 are aware of their loss, they will usually commence 

 to rear another queen from the worker eggs to take 

 her place. To make a sure thing of it, they often 

 start to produce a half-dozen or moi'e. 



In six days after removing the queen, smoke the 

 bees well, to get the combs as clear of them as pos- 

 sible. Do this in the middle of the day. When 

 you have driven the most of the bees from the comb 

 to the bottom and into the corners of the hives, lift 

 out the combs, and look sharply for queen cells. 



