ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 



95 



side of the hive I turn the side of the comb upon which is the queen. 

 Then she is not immediately brought in contact with the excited, 

 strange bees; but the bees intermingle, and, almost unconsciously, 

 the whole colony accepts the queen. If any of the queenless bees 

 stray near the queen, they find her surrounded by a cortege of her 

 own bees. She is also attending to her duties, and is almost certain 

 not to be molested. 



When queens come from a distance, they are more difficult to 

 introduce. Thej^ have not layed any eggs in several days, and are 

 in a jaded condition. It would often be a saving in queens if such 

 queens were first introduced to nuclei, and then, after thev were 

 nicely laying, introduce them to full colonies by uniting the nuclei 

 with the full colonies, in the manner just described. It is much 

 easier to introduce a queen to a nucleus than to a full colony. Take 

 a frame of bees, brood and honey from a colony, place it in a hive 

 with an empty comb by the side of the comb of bees, and set all on a 

 new stand, when, in 24 hours, all of the old bees, the'ones that always 

 make trouble with a new 

 queen, have returned to 

 the old stand, and the 

 young bees that are left 

 are almost certain to 

 accept a queen. 



When a queen comes 

 to hand in a jaded con- 

 dition it would be a 

 great advantage if she 

 could at once be released 

 upon the combs, but 



this very jaded condition is against her acceptance. To meet these 

 conditions it is an excellent plan to cage her against the side of a 

 comb. A cage for this purpose is made from a piece of wire cloth 

 seven or eight inches square. First cut out, from each corner, a 

 piece lYz inches square, then ravel out several strands from each 

 side, after which bend up the sides, at right angles, thus forming a 

 sort of shallow box. The open side of this box is placed against the 

 side of a comb where young bees are emerging, a few cells of honey 

 also being included, the queen slipped under the edge of the cage, 

 when the raveled out strands of wires are thrust into the comb, 

 clear up to the cross-wires. Before doing this work it is well to free 

 the comb of bees. The young bees that hatch will treat her kindly, 

 and, in the meantime, she will begin laying, when, if the outside bees 

 seem favorably disposed, the queen may be released by boring a hole 



