98 BEE-KEEPING FOR PROFIT 
height of summer when no eggs are laid in 
the hive. 
Another method is to allow the hive to 
swarm and to return the swarm ,to its hive 
after destroying the queen. But this plan, 
too, has the disadvantage of checking the 
supply of eggs. 
The best method for all practical purposes 
is to re-queen after the honey-flow, either with 
a home-reared queen or one purchased from 
a reliable breeder. The old queen, together 
with any queen cells in the combs, must be 
removed three or four days before the new 
queen is introduced. 
The easiest way to accomplish the intro- 
duction is by means of a qgueen-cage. ‘These are 
usually made of wood with three compartments, 
in the inner two of which the queen is 
imprisoned. The other is filled with soft 
candy. ‘This cage is placed over the frames in 
the hive and the queen is liberated by the bees 
eating a way through the candy. By the time 
this is accomplished the queen will have 
acquired the scent of the hive and will be 
accepted as ruler by the community. 
The hive should not be disturbed for at least 
four days after the introduction of the new 
queen. 
