MANIPULATING. 



77 



for forty-eight hours and then released. This system entails a lot 

 of trouble, as the comb has to be removed from the hive twice, 

 and at the first removal the greater part of the bees must be 

 brushed off. The next style of cage is better ; it is called by 

 several names, but the illustration here given will furnish an idea 

 as to its appearance and make, though it does not in the engraving 

 appear nearly long enough. This cage should be 4in. in length, 

 lin. broad, and Jin. thick. It is made of perforated tin or zinc, 

 and is placed between two combs, the flange on the top resting on 

 the tops of the frames. When the mother-bee is to be released, 

 the wire on the top is pressed down ; this opens the door at the 

 bottom and she walks forth into the hive. Yet another form of 

 cage we have found most successful and cheap. It is made as 

 follows : Obtain a piece of wire cloth, the 

 same as that used for wire bee-veils, make 

 a tube of the same dimensions as those 

 given for the preceding one, also two 

 wooden plugs, fitting fairly tightly, to close 

 top and bottom, as a cork in a bottle ; 

 into the bottom plug insert a piece of wire, 

 so that it passes close along the inner side 

 of the cage and out at the top, at the ="de 

 of the tpp plug. Place on the top of 

 the bo'tom plug a piece of " Good '' 

 candy (this is made by mixing icing sugar 

 and warm honey together to the consistency of putty) ; remove 

 the top plug and put in the mother-bee, replacing the plug to 

 keep her in. Now bend the free end of the wire at right angles 

 to the cage ; this prevents its slipping down between the combs. 

 With a knife uncap some of the honey-cells at the top of one of 

 the combs, and place the cage with its flat side close against 

 where the honey is so exposed; this, together with the "Good" 

 candy, provides food for the mother while she is imprisoned, 

 previous to the bees feeding her through the bars of her cage. 

 Now push up the frames close together, cover up the quilts, and 

 leave her for forty-eight hours. To release her, bend up the wire, 

 which must be fairly thin, take hold of the top of the cage 

 between the finger and thumb, and press the wire down : this will 

 push out the bottom plug and so release the mother-bee. 



125. Direct Queeu-iutrodnction. — This system is fre- 

 quently called the " Pond-Simmins." It is almost perfection, 

 or as near that as it is possible to get. We have introduced 

 hundreds of queens with but few failures — not 5 per cent., 

 and not nearly as many as by means of a cage — with much 

 less trouble, and also — which is of far greater importance — saving 

 two days' breeding by the queen. It is a very simple manipulation, 

 and is thus performed : Remove the queen to be superseded from 

 the hive about 9 or 10 a.m., then cover up properly, and leave the 



Queen Cage. 



