In article <[log in to unmask]>, Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]> writes <snip> >I've lost enough behind the seat in my pickup (and other >impenatrable (sic?) places) that I've decided that a clear plastic >bag into which both the cage and my hands can go is a better answer. <snip> Allen (and all) I saw this method on a BIBBA video about Queen raising and I think it deserves more explaination than you have given it above, so with your permission .... 1. Put the cage containing the queen and attendants inside a plastic bag. 2. Put your hand inside the bag and gather the open end together around your wrist so that no bees can escape (an elastic band or the elasticated cuff of a gauntlet can help here). 3. Use the hand inside the bag to flip open the cage. 4. Flip all of the bees out of the cage. 5. The queen isn't as fond of the light as the workers so she will probably jump back into the cage. If she doesn't, you can pick her off the inside of the bag without any fear of losing her. 6. The attendants are disposable. The idea is to intoduce the queen so that she solicits food from the new colony and her pheremones are passed around the colony. If you introduce the attendants as well, they will do the soliciting (and will probably be recognised as intruders and killed) and the queens pheremones will not be passed around the colony. Consequently, the colony may believe that it is queenless and take appropriate action. This is a great method of separating the queen from the attendants she arrives with through the post with. -- Paul Walton Email : [log in to unmask] Bedfordshire, England.