28 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



now good reasons for believing that it is quantity only that is varied, 

 the chemical difference arising after it is put into the cells. 



If the queen of a colony is removed intentionally or accidentally, 

 the workers proceed to raise one or several more by enlarging some 

 of the cells containing worker (female) larvae, and supplying the 

 necessary food. In due time such individuals emerge as perfect 

 queens. If the bees have neither eggs nor young larvae they cannot 

 raise a queen and unless the bee-keeper supplies brood or a queen, the 

 colony will perish. The bees rarely tolerate more than one laying 

 queen in the hive at a time. Perhaps it were more correct to say 

 that the queen rarely permits another queen to remain long, for man 

 can put in several queens and have each one laying for a time, but 

 sooner or later all but one disappear. 



IMPORTANCE OF GOOD QUEENS. 



The success of the colony depends upon the queen, so it behooves 

 the bee-keeper to see that each colony has a young and vigorous one. 



INTRODUCING QUEENS. 



Introducing a new queen is a matter of much anxiety to the be- 

 ginner. The first essential is to remove the' old queen, or if she is 

 missing, to be sure that no capped cell or young queen is present. 

 Two methods of introduction are in common use, the "cage method" 

 and the "direct" or "distress." By the first, the queen is confined 

 in a small cage usually with a few attendants, and the exit of the 

 cage is plugged with a sort of candy made of powdered sugar and 

 honey kneaded together. The cage is placed on top of the frames 

 or between the combs and allowed to remain until the candy has been 

 eaten out and the queen freed. Cages in which queens are sent by 

 mail are so designed as to be used for introducing. ■ ^ J^ 



DISTRESS METHOD. "^J 



The "distress method" consists of putting the bees in a condiHon 

 of "distress" and while they are in that condition, letting the queen 



