iNTKoDrnko titpttEONATiin qhkeks. 2^5 



Bdost populous part of the hive, near the brood and the 

 honey, and keeping hor there from 24 to 48 hours. These 

 queen-fULi'os were first used in Germany for Introducing 

 queens. 



537. In catching a queen, she slioald be gently taken 

 with the fingers, from among the bees, and if none are 

 crushed, there is no risk of being stung. The queen her- 

 self will not sting, even if roughly handled. 



If she is allowed to fly, she may be lost, by attempting 

 to enter a strange hive. 



To introduce her into the cage, she should be allowed to 

 diiiih up into it. It is a fact well known to queen breeders 

 that a bee or a queen cannot be easily induced to enter a cage 

 or a box turned downward. The meshes of the wire cloth 

 should not be closer than 12 to the inch, that the bees may 

 feeil the queen readily through them. This is important, 

 for we have lost two queens successively in a cage with 

 closer meshes. 



The bees will cultivate an acquaintance with the impris- 

 oned mother, by thrusting their antennae through the open- 

 ings, and will be as quiet as though the queen had her lib- 

 erty. Such a cage will be very convenient for any tempor- 

 ary confinement of a queen. 



538. It is necessary, when the queen is released, that 

 the bees be in good spirits, neither frightened, nor angered, 

 and there should be no robbers about, as they might take 

 her for an intruder, and ball her. 



This technical word is used to describe the peculiar way 

 in which bees surround a queen whom they want to kill. 

 The cluster that encloses her, is in the form of a ball, some- 

 times as large as one's fist, and so compact that it cannot 

 readily be scattered. She may be rescued by throwing the 

 ball into a basin of water. We have known bees to ball 

 their own mother in such circumstances, for queens are of 

 a timid disposition and easily frightened. When we release 



