Has anyone else tried the matchbox method for introducing a queen?  The 
old queen is removed and the new one is placed in the hive in a 
matchbox with the entrance open just enough for contact but not enough 
for entry or exit.  The workers chew away the cardboard (the matchbox 
must be cardboard, not wood!) and the queen gets out, having been 
introduced to her new step-daughters gently.  I once did this by 
placing the box on the alighting board so I could see the action.  It 
took about 15 minutes for the workers to make a large enough gap for 
them to go in and the queen to emerge, and she calmly walked into the 
hive.

Chris
  

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