Ham Morton asks "during requeening do you eliminate the host bees in the queen
cage or leave them in the cage?"

I have done it both ways and it has worked both ways.  Some say that there is
a hazard that the bees in the hive may accidentally sting the queen to death
while trying to kill her attendants.  Your mileage may vary depending upon the
temperament of the hive.  Sometimes very aggressive bees may be more likely to
try and kill the workers and possibly the queen when the queen cage is first
put in.  In a case like that, I might remove the workers first.  Mostly I just
put the cage in with the attendants still in it, and (although maybe I'm just
lucky) I've never had a problem doing that.  I've had a successful intro-
duction every time as long as I successfully removed or killed the queen that
was previously in there.  I usually try and leave the hive queenless for 24
hours previous to introducing the new queen because I think the bees are more
receptive that way.  Results can vary depending on the race and temperament of
the bees being requeened.  Have fun and best wishes for success.

Layne Westover, College Station, Texas, U.S.A.

(a small piece of cotton with water in it replenished at least once a day can
keep the queen and her attendants alive for some time if waiting on inclement
weather or other problems.  I never kill the old queen until I have received
the new one in the mail and made sure she is in good shape, and then I wait 24
hours before introducing the new queen.  I must not be a commercial beekeeper.)