INTRODUCTION OF VIRGIN QUEENS. 287 



and liberating lier 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. 



Doctor C. C. Miller recommends the introducing of a young 

 queen in a cage while the fertile queen is still in the hive, 

 removing the old queen a little later and leaving the virgin 

 queen caged for two or three days, allowing the bees to liberate 

 her by eating through honey or candy to reach her (598). 

 But the only way which may be held absolutely safe is to 

 introduce the virgin queen to a colony or nucleus containing 

 ■only young bees which have been deprived of queen for eight 

 or ten hours. The smaller the number of bees, the greater 

 the safety of the queen ; that is why breeders introduce the 

 virgin queens to small nuclei (531). 



We would advise novices to abstain from introducing virgin 

 queens, until they become expert in the business of queen rear- 

 ing; the introduction of unhatclied queen-cells being much 

 more easily performed, and more uniformly successful. 



54-2. In introducing queens or queen-cells to full colonies 

 during the swarming season, it happens veiy 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 remember 

 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 

 front of an empty box, and secure them in a closed hive, out 



