MILLER SMOKE METHOD 115 
Occasionally there is a colony, after being for some time 
queenless 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 them. 
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 
