42 



cardboard. If not, it may be removed and the mat and cover replaced. 

 Many a queen has been lost through the hive being disturbed too soon 

 after the introduction. It should be remembered that the queen is 

 stiU somewhat strange to the hive, even after she has been released. 

 The bees are apt to " ball " her if they are disturbed before they 

 become used to her. Should a case of balling be noticed at anj' 

 time, the best plan is to drop the ball of bees into a basin of water ; 

 this will cause the bees to quickly release her. The queen can now 

 be recovered and smearefl with honey, then dropped between the 

 frames. In cleaning her the bees will become friendly, but the hive 

 must not be disturbed again for a few days. 



Finding Queens. 

 It is a very difificult matter to find a queen in a thickly populated 

 colony by the usual method of looking over the frames. Much time 

 and labour may be saved by adopting the sifting method. To do this 

 tack a queen-excluder on the bottom of an empty half-super ; then 

 nail on the excluder a piece of board about 4 in. wide and the length 

 of the hive, so that its edge is flush with the side of the half-super. 

 Now remove from the bottom-board the hive containing the queen 

 to be found, placing it to one side. Put an empty super in its place 

 on the stand, then over it the sieve, or super with excluder. This 

 should be placed so that the board on the bottom overlaps the hive 

 below by about 4 in., which will leave a gap at the opposite side in 

 which to replace the frames. Now place the hive over the sieve, lift 

 out each frame with the adhering bees, starting from the side nearest 

 you, and quickly give each frame a sharp shake over the sieve so as 

 to dislodge the bees. As each frame is done place it in the hive below, 

 sliding it along under the excluder ; it wiU be gradually pushed along 

 until it occupies its former position in the hive. When all have been 

 done the remaining bees in the now empty hive may be dumped into 

 the sieve. The bees will soon find their way down to the brood below, 

 leaving the queen and the drones above the excluder, as they cannot 

 get through the small holes. A little smoke will hasten the descent 

 of the worker-bees. The queen can then be found trying to get 

 through to the brood below. 



Fig. 34.— Queen-rearing Apiary at Tauranga Horticultural Station. 



