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.