To Introduce Valuable Queens. 26 y 



all, and setting it in the middle of the hive containing the 

 queenless colony; though it is well to smoke the colony 

 well. 



A young queen, just emerging from a cell, can always 

 be safely given at once to the colony, after destroying the 

 old queen. 



A queen-cell is usually received with favor, especially if 

 the colony has been queenless for twenty-four hours. If 

 we use a cell we must be careful to destroy all other queen- 

 cells that may be formed; and if the one we supply is 

 destroyed, wait twenty-four hours and introduce another. 

 If we wait seven or eight days, and then destroy all their 

 queen-cells, the bees are sure to accept a cell. But to save 

 time I should always introduce a queen. 



If we are to introduce an imported queen, or one of very 

 great value, we might make a new colony, all of young 

 bees. We simply place two or three combs of fully ma- 

 tured brood in a hive, and the queen on them. By night- 

 fall- there will be a goodly cluster of young bees. Unless 

 the day and night are warm the hive must be set in a warm 

 room. The entrance should be closed in any case. This 

 keeps the queen from leaving and robber bees from doing 

 harm. As the number of bees warrant it, more brood may 

 be added, and by adding capped brood alone we may very 

 soon have a full sized colony. 



By having a colony thus Italianized in the fall, we may 

 commence the next spring, and, as described in the section 

 explaining the rearing of queens, we may control our rear- 

 ing of drones, queens, and all and ere another autumn 

 have only the beautiful, pure, amiable, and active Italians. 

 I have done this several times, and with the most perfect 

 satisfaction. I think by making this change in blood, we 

 add certainly two dollars to the value of each colonj', and 

 I know of no other way to make money so easily and 

 pleasantly. 



valentine's comb stand. 



In the work of finding queens, and in other manipula- 

 tions, it is often desirable to take out frames. If these are 

 set down beside the hive they are liable to injury. J. M. 



