" Another very useful device I use when handling queens outdoors is a box > with a screen on top and fabric on two sides so you can put your hands in > without letting the queen out". An alternative that avoids need for another bit of gear with you when visiting hives is just a large clear plastic bag , kept folded in the pocket. You put the queen and a spare cage plus one hand into the bag, and tuck the ends into your sleeve. You can of course open a cage one-handed, but the hand outside the bag helps with holding things thru the plastic. Also, a useful way of transferring queens from cage to cage before introduction is to dip the queen-right cage into warm water for a second then it can be opened without any risk of flight. Introducing a wetted queen was Snelgove's water method - if exchanging a queen in lay for another in lay, he just put the wet queen straight in without a cage , if I remember. He even said you could wet the queen in your mouth! Finally, a word of warning on these translucent plastic cages. I put a new queen from a nuc into one recently for introduction, and left the cage on a hive roof in the sun. Within five minutes, I had a dead queen. I suppose the orange plastic cages give only moderate shading, but the clear ones are little ovens. Robin Dartington :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::