278 QUEEN HEARING. 



among the bees, without touching her with the fingers. 



Nearly all breeders acknowledge that the introduction of 

 virgin queens to full colonies is an unceitain business, and 

 that they can be introduced safely only to small nuclei that 

 have been queenless some time. In this, we fully agree. 



Mr. G. W. Demaree, of Christianburg, Ky.,is quite suc- 

 cessful in the introduction of virgin queens several days old, 

 by much the same process as that given by us for the intro- 

 duction of fertile queens. 



We would advise novices to abstain from introducing vir- 

 gin queens, until they become expert in the business of 

 queen rearing ; the introduction of unhatched queen-cells 

 being much more easily performed, and more uniformly 

 successful. 



542. In introducing queens or queen-cells to full colo- 

 nies during the swarming season, it happens very 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. 



643. In hunting for a queen, it is necessary to remem- 

 ber 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 

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

 of the reach of robbers, until the search is over, when every- 

 thing may be returned to its proper place. 



644. After a queen is taken from a cage, the bees will 

 run in and out of it for a long time, thus proving that they 

 recognize her peculiar scent. It is this odor which causes 

 tliem to run inquiringljr over our hands, ^.fter we have caught 



