THE VALUE OF ITALIANS. 131 



should be obtained from the bee-farm, even with common 

 bees, and much more with Ligurians. 



To introduce an Italian queen the following method 

 should be pursued : — Having smoked the native stock, re- 

 move the top board as gently as possible, because the queen 

 is so shy and retiring that it is difficult to find her. Search 

 each bar-frame separately, then remove them to an empty 

 hive placed so as to be handy for use. If the search be 

 unsuccessful over the frames, examine the clusters of bees 

 in the corners of the hive. When found, remove her with 

 care to a cage, together with a few workers, /. e. to a small 

 box, in which a piece of comb, 3x2 inches, filled with 

 honey, is placed. She may be wanted again, for it may 

 unfortunately occur, as it did once to ourselves, that the 

 strange queen is not accepted by the stock ; in such a case 

 the old queen by being replaced saves the entire stock. 



When the queen is removed replace all the bars in the 

 old hive, with the bees ; the loss of the queen will not be 

 detected immediately, but after the lapse of a few hours 

 they will be discovered running to and fro eagerly search- 

 ing for her amongst the combs. 



Introduce the new queen thus : Secure her with two 

 or three of the workers and a little honey in a wire cloth 

 cage and insert it between the combs. This is to insure 

 her safety. At the end of twenty-four hours or there- 

 abouts she may be loosened on the top of one of the bars. 

 She will then be welcomed by her new subjects. 



We sometimes sprinkle a small quantity of syrup 

 amongst the bees just before liberating the queen, or smoke 

 the stock well from the entrance. We have never known 

 a queen sacrificed when these simple precautions have been 

 adopted. 



K 2 



