278 QUEEN REARING. 
among the bees, without touching her with the fingers. 
Nearly all breeders acknowledge that the introduction of 
virgin queens to full colonies is an uncertain business, and 
that they can be introduced safely only to small nuclei that 
have been queenless some time. In this, we fully agree. 
Mr. G. W. Demaree, of Christianburg, Ky., is quite suc- 
cessful in the introduction of virgin queens several days old, 
by much the same process as that given by us for the intro- 
duction of fertile queens. 
We would advise novices to abstain from introducing vir- 
gin queens, until they become expert in the business of 
queen rearing; the introduction of unhatched queen-cells 
being much more easily performed, and more uniformly 
successful. 
542. In introducing queens or queen-cells to full colo- 
nies during the swarming season, it happens very often that 
the bees also raise queen-cells of their own brood, and 
swarm with the queen given them (465). In view of this, 
the Apiarist should watch, for a few days, the colony to 
which a new queen has been introduced. 
543. In hunting for a queen, it is necessary to remem- 
ber that she is on the brood combs unless frightened away. 
If the bees are not greatly disturbed, an Italian queen may 
be found within five minutes after opening the hive. 
A queen of common bees, or of hybrids, is more difficult 
to find, as her bees often rush about the hive as soon as it is 
opened. If she cannot be found on the combs, and the hive 
is populous, it is best to shake all the frames on a sheet, in 
fro :t of an empty box, and secure them in a closed hive, out 
of the reach of robbers, until the search is over, when every- 
thing may be returned to its proper place. 
544. After a queen is taken from a cage, the bees will 
run in and out of it for a long time, thus proving that they 
recognize her peculiar scent. It is this odor which causes 
them to run inquiringly over our hands, after we have caught 
