198 



Introducing queens. 



If, upon liberating the queen, we find that the bees "ball" 

 her, that is, gather so closely about her as to form a compact 

 cluster, we must at once smoke the bees off and re-cage the 

 queen, else they will hold her a prisoner till she is dead. 



The Peet cage (Fig. 85), which is not only an introducing 

 but a shipping cage, is a most valuable invention. The back 



Fig. 85. 



Queen Cage. 



of the' cage is tin, and as seen in the figure may be drawn out, 

 which leaves the back of the cage entirely open. The tin 

 points, which turn easily, are turned at right angles to the cage 

 as shown in the figure. The cage is pressed close up to a 

 smooth piece of comb containing both brood and honey, where 

 it is held by the tin points, and then the tin back is with- 

 drawn. The bees will soon liberate the queen and almost al- 

 ways accept her. I have had such admirable success with 

 this cage that I heartily recommend it. The food in the cage 

 wiU keep the queen, even though the bees do not feed her 

 through the wire, and there is no honey in the comb. 



Judge Andrews, of Texas, states a valuable point in this con- 

 nection, which, though I have not tried, I am glad to give. 

 The reputation of Judge Andrews and the value of the sug- 

 gestion alike warrant it. He says queens will be accepted 

 just as quickly when caged in a hive with a colony of bees, 

 even though the old queen is still at large in the hive. Such 

 caged queens, says the Judge, after two or three days, are 



