Iiitrodiiciiiii Queens 



75 



jaded condition. It would often be a saving in queens if such queens 

 were first introduced to nuclei, and then, after they were nicely laying, 

 introduce them to full colonies by uniting the nuclei with the full 

 colonies, in the manner just described. It is much easier to introduce 

 a queen to a nucleus than to a full culon)-. Take a frame of bees, 

 brood, and honey from a colony ; place it in a hive with an empty comb 

 by the side of the comb of bees, and set all on a new stand, when, in 

 24 hours, all of the old bees, the ones that always make trouble with a 

 new queen, have re- 

 turned to the old stand, 

 and the young bees that 

 arc left are almost cer- 

 tain to accept a c[ueen. 



When a queen comes 

 to hand in a jaded con- 

 dition it would be a 

 great advantage if she 

 could at once be released 

 upon the combs ; but this 

 ver}- jaded condition is 



against her acceptance. To meet these conditions it is an excellent 

 plan to cage her against the side of a comb. A cage for this purpose 

 is made from a piece of wire cloth seven or eight inches square. First 

 cut out, from each corner, a piece ij4 inches square, then ravel out 

 several strands from each side, after which bend up the sides at right 

 angles, thus forming a sort of shallow box. The open side of this box 

 is placed against the side of a comb where young bees are emerging, a 

 few cells of honey also being included, the queen slipped under the 

 edge of the cage, when the raveled-out strands of wires are thrust into 

 the comb, clear up to the cross-wires. Before doing this work it is well 

 to free the comb of bees. The young bees that hatch will treat her 

 kindly, and in the mean time she will begin laying when, if the outside 

 bees seem favorably disposed, the queen may be released by boring a 

 hole through the comb with the point of a pocket-knife. The hole 

 should be bored through from the side of the comb that is opposite to 

 the cage, and, if the comb is simply broken up sufficiently, the bees 

 will clean out the broken particles and thus allow the queen to pass 

 through, which releases her at a time when the colony is in a norma! 

 condition, instead of under the excitement that accompanies the opening 

 of the hive. 



I just said that it would be well to release the queen if the bees 

 were "favorably disposed" toward the queen. If they are "balling" 

 the cage, clinging to its masses like so many burdocks, their behavior 



