96 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 



through the comb with the point of a pocket knife. The hole should 

 be bored through from the side of the comb that is opposite to the 

 cage, and, if the comb is simply broken up sufficiently, the bees will 

 clean out the broken particles and thus allow the queen to pass 

 through, which releases her at a time when the colony is in a normal 

 condition, instead of under the excitement that accompanies the 

 opening of the hive. 



I just said that it would be well to release the queen if the bees 

 were "favorably disposed" towards the queen. If they are "balling" 

 the cage, clinging to its masses, like so many burdocks, their be- 

 havior indicates what the queen would have to endure were she 

 within their reach. The operator must wait until they are in a dif- 

 ferent mood, until they are walking quietly about over the cage, as 

 unconcernedly as upon the combs of honey — perhaps the bees may 

 be offering food to the queen and caressing her with their antennae. 

 This shows that the bees are favorably inclined towards the queen, 

 and it is never safe to release a queen unless the bees show in this 

 manner that they have practically accepted her. 



Speaking of releasing the queen by boring a hole through the 

 comb, reminds me that there is probably no better way of releasing 

 a queen, let the cage be what it may, than that of stopping the 

 entrance with a piece of broken up comb honey, or with some kind 

 of soft candy, and allowing the bees to eat it out. The bees that 

 first meet the queen are in good humor from the candy they have 

 eaten; and, as has just been mentioned, the queen is released 

 quietly at a time when the colony is undisturbed. After a queen has 

 been released the hive should be left undisturbed three or four days, 

 or a week, until the queen has commenced laying and become fully 

 established as queen of the colony. When a queen has been released 

 only a short time, she is easily frightened, when she is likely to run 

 and "squeal," and the result is that the bees will at once "ball" her. 



When a queen from a distance is to be introduced to a full 

 colony, the condition of that colony is of the utmost importance. 

 The most favorable condition is that it be hopelessly queenless. 

 Let it build a batch of queen cells, and remove them after all of the 

 brood has been sealed, and the bees are almost certain to accept a 

 queen if given to them in a proper manner. When I was engaged in 

 queen rearing, I don't know that I ever failed in trying to introduce 

 a queen to a colony that had built a batch of cells. I would sooner 

 release a queen after the bees had discovered the loss of their old 

 queen, and before they had begun the construction of queen cells, 

 than to release her after the cells were under way, unless I waited 

 until the cells were sealed over and had been removed. 



