THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ .JOURNAL 
27 
bee-house : the bees leave the sections, and 
cluster thereon to get rid of them and at the 
same time let no robbers in. the door is opened 
and the bees take wing with a rush. Any room 
arranged as above will do as well as a house for 
iliat special purpose. The best methods for 
keeping comb honey, as practised by the largest 
beekeepers has been described in the back 
numbers of the AjricvHu rt*t . 1 think it would 
be best to get all honey in the hands of t lie con- 
sumer as soon as possible after if is removed 1 
from the hives . — American Apicultnrixt. 
FINDING QUEENS. 
How TO PltOCEKD WHEN' LOOKING FOR THE 
Queen. 
(Written for the American Bee .Journal by 1 
G. M. Doolittle.) 
Many seem to be troubled in finding the 
queen, not a few writing me to that effect, and 
asking how I proceed in that work. 
One of the. most important things to be 
remembered in looking fora black or hybrid 
queen is, not to use too much smoke so as to get 
the bees “crazy,” so that they will run pell-mell 
all over the hive, and even outside of it ; for 
with such a state of affairs no one is very likely 
to find the queen, and the hive might as well be 
shut up without trying. 
Go to the hive and remove the cover as quietly 
as possible, so as not to disturb the bees the 
least bit, if you can do so. Now as the quilt is 
raised blow the least bit of smoke under it, ami 
after it is removed keep for a moment or so 
blowing just a little smoke on the guards as they 
poke their heads up over the tops of the frames 
— just enough to turn them about again and no 
more. In this way yon will soon have all quiet 
and nice, no running or anything of the kind. 
Having thus brought them into subjection 
you are ready to proceed ; but before doing so. 
1 wish to say that there is a proper time of day 
to do this hunting for the queen, and that time 
is governed by the way the hive is placed or 
faces. As my hives all face south, we will 
suppose that we are in my bee-yard, and in such 
case the time will be at from 11 to 12 o’clock. 
Now, why this 1 Simply because at this hour 
the sun shines so as to obliquely strike the east 
side of flic combs, as these run with the entrance 
to the hive. 
One other thing : As the sides of any queen 
are much more yellow than her back, a queen is 
much more easily seen when looking obliquely 
on her. than when looking squarely on the comb 
or on her back, and as she walks about, while 
looking at her in this manner her abdomen is 
snre to attract our attention, thereby causing 
ns to see her when we would not otherwise do 
so. Having explained this matter so, 1 think, 
nil will understand it, we will take out the first 
frame next the east side of the hive, standing or 
sitting on that side. 
For various reasons 1 prefer to sit down when 
hunting for the queen, clvetly because it brings 
the eyes in a more natural position for seeing 
ove" the combs. 
To get the first comb out, if the hive has not 
a movable side, commence four- or five frames 
away from the side next to you, and with a 
heavy knife or screw-driver loosen the frames, 
pushing them a little from you so as to gain 
room to lift out the first one without injuring the 
bees so as to irritate them. Whenever the bees 
come up on the frame-tops in a threatening 
manner smoke them a little, gently as at first, 
thus keeping them in subjection, yet at no time 
give enough smoke so as to thoroughly frighten 
them. A little experience along this line will 
enable one to handle even the most vicious 
hybrids without stings or getting them excited. 
Having the first frame liberated, gently raise 
it from the hive, looking over the side next to 
yon as it comes out, for the queen, ami as soon 
as it is out look over the other side, by looking 
down obliquely from the top. Having made 
sure the queen is not on this frame, put it down 
outside the hive, or have another hive to place 
it in. In time of robber bees the hive is best, 
throwing a sheet over it to keep the robber bees 
off this exposed comb, but at all other times 
1 put the combs on the ground outside the 
hive. 
Now remove the next comb and as quickly as 
it is out of the hive glance down the face side 
of the comb next to you in the hive, and if the 
queen is on that side of the comb you will 
surely see her, for her first impulse is. upon the 
light striking her, to get on the other side of 
the comb, and in doing this she shows herself to 
a much better advantage than she would if she 
kept still, the sunlight making her appear ‘‘as 
natural as life and twice as big.” 
As soon as satisfied that she is not there, 
look on the other side of the comb you hold in 
your hands the same as before, and if the queen 
is not found put this also in the hive with the 
first or on the ground. 
Now proceed with each frame its you did with 
the last one. bearii g in mind that there is no 
need of looking at the side of the frame next to 
yop after it is taken from the hive : for should 
you miss seeing the queen when looking down 
on the comb as it stands in the hive, she would, 
if there, get around on the inner side before you 
got to taking it out. 
After two of the combs are out of the hive I 
usually set the next on the side of the hive 
the colony occupies, which is next to me, for 
with twoframes out the sun can shine down 
between the combs as if more were out. In 
this way it is a rare thing that 1 miss a queen in 
going over a hive, but if I do 1 never try longer 
at that time, but close the hive and try again 
when the sun is right for another day. 
To show w hat can be done if the above course 
is pursued, 1 will say that in six hours, during 
the middle of the day, I have found and clipped 
the wings < f forty blink and hybrid queens for 
a party who ban concluded that he wished his 
queens’ wings clip] ed : and 1 have reason to 
