534 
INTRODUCING 
bored thru lengthwise the grain of the 
wood. One hole (next to the bees) is cov¬ 
ered with a piece of perforated metal, 
secured in place with two small wire nails 
driven thru the perforations. The other 
hole (that is at the candy end) is covered 
over with a piece of pasteboard slightly 
narrower than the hole. In this way the 
bees have an opportunity to taste the 
candy at the edges, and finally pull away 
the pasteboard entirely. 
Oftentimes, after the cage has been thru 
the mails, and been on the journey for 
several days, the bees in the cage will have 
consumed two-thirds or three-fourths of 
the candy. If those in the hive to which 
the queen is to be introduced gain access to 
the candy direct they would eat out what 
little there is of it in five or six hours, lib¬ 
erate the queen,' and probably kill her. In 
order to accomplish introduction safely the 
cage should be on the frames (where the 
bees can get acquainted with the queen) 
for at least 24 hours, and longer wherever 
practicable. As it takes generally from 12 
to 24 hours for the bees to gnaw away the 
pasteboard before they can get at the 
candy, and from 6 to 24 hours to eat out 
the candy, at least 18 hours is assured be¬ 
fore the bees can release the queen; and 
generally the time is longer—all the way 
from 24 to 48 hours. The pasteboard has 
another advantage, in that it makes the 
introduction entirely automatic. The one 
who receives the queen pr es off the cover 
protecting the wire cloth, and then by the 
directions which he reads on the reverse 
side of this cover he learns that all he 
has to do is to lay the cage wire cloth down 
over the space between two brood-frames 
of the queenless colony, and the bees do the 
rest. It. is not even necessary for him to 
open the hive to release the queen; indeed, 
he should let the colony entirely alone for 
three or four days, as opening the hive 
disturbs and annoys the bees to such an ex¬ 
tent that often they will ball the queen, 
seeming to lay to her door what must be to 
them a great disturbance in having their 
home torn to pieces. 
There are some who object to the use of 
the pasteboard on the ground that the bees 
may gnaw it away too soon, and, so re¬ 
lease the queen, before the bees will treat 
her kindly. These objectors tack a piece of 
tin over the candy. At the end of two or 
three days the tin is removed or revolved 
to one side, exposing the candy. As soon 
as the bees eat thru, the queen is released. 
The use of the piece of tin makes sure 
that the queen will be confined long enough 
How bees and queens are put up in a mailing-cage. 
for the bees to get well acquainted with 
her before they get to her. 
The manner of filling a cage with bees 
and queen for mailing is to pick it up with 
the left hand in such a way that the thumb 
covers the hole over which the perforated 
metal has been nailed, but which, before the 
time of filling, should be revolved around 
on one side or taken off entirely. The 
queen is first to be picked up by the wings, 
and her head is pushed into the hole as far 
as possible. After she runs in, the thumb 
