INTRODUCING IMPREGNATED QUEENS. 275 
most populous part of the hive, near the brood and the 
honey, and keeping her there from 24 to 48 hours. These 
queen-cages were first used in Germany for introducing 
queens. 
537. In catching a queen, she should be gently taken 
with the fingers, from among the bees, and if none are 
crushed, there is no risk of being stung. The queen her- 
self will not sting, even if roughly handled. 
If she is allowed to fly, she may be lost, by attempting 
to enter a strange hive. 
To introduce her into the cage, she should be allowed to 
climb up into it. It isa fact well known to queen breeders 
that a bee or a queen cannot be easily induced to enter u cage 
or a box turned downward. The meshes of the wire cloth 
should not be closer than 12 to the inch, that the bees may 
feed the queen readily through them. This is important, 
for we have lost two queens successively in a cage with 
closer meshes. ! 
The bees will cultivate an acquaintance with the impris- 
oned mother, by thrusting their antenne through the open- 
ings, and will be as quiet as though the queen had her lib- 
erty. Such a cage will be very convenient for any tempor- 
ary confinement of a queen. 
538. It is necessary, when the queen is released, that 
the bees be in good spirits, neither frightened, nor angered, 
and there should be no robbers about, as they might take 
her for an intruder, and ball her. 
This technical word is used to describe the peculiar way 
in which bees surround a queen whom they want to kill. 
The cluster that encloses her, is in the form of a ball, some- 
times as large as one’s fist, and so compact that it cannot 
readily be scattered. She may be rescued by throwing the 
ball into a basin of water. We have known bees to ball 
their own mother in such circumstances, for queens are of 
a timid disposition and easily frightened. When we release 
