258 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1-2 EDWARD VII., A. 1902 



but over, and raised from, the wire cloth, which must he carefully tacked over the 

 two ends of the brood chamber. The boards are supported at each corner on blocks 

 one inch by one inch, and about two inches long, with a single screw through each to 

 hold it in its place. The wooden covers which are supported by the blocks are also 

 made fast by screws. The entrance must be covered with wire cloth. For short dis- 

 tances the bottom board may be left undisturbed. It is almost absolutely necessary 

 that combs should be wired, or at least that they be old and tough and securely at- 

 tached to the bottom bar. It is always risky, however, to ship combs when not wired, 

 for it is impossible to tell what sort of rough usage the package may receive at the 

 hands of express agents. The bees buzzing around the wire cloth are usually sufficient 

 to guarantee gentle handling, but, as many people do not know how to handle and take 

 care of bees, plain instructions should be placed on each hive. 



Question S. — Is it safe to move bees from one part of the apiary to another ? 



Answer. — A great many mishaps have come about from moving bees unwisely. A 

 little thought in regard to the habits of bees will save this. Bees fly from their hives, 

 when looking for honey, one or two miles, but seldom farther than that, unless at a 

 time of great scarcity of pasturage. After a bee has once learnt the location of its 

 hive, it never stops to take the points when leaving the hive, as it does the first time 

 it sallies out in a new locality. The consequence is, if a hive has been moved either by 

 night or by day, bees will when returning with honey fly straight to the old location, 

 and, if on reaching that they find the hive is gone, they are helplessly lost and, even 

 though the hive may be only a few rods away, they will not find it. Whenever hives 

 are moved even short distances during the working season, there is always, as a conse- 

 quence, a loss of some of the bees. Italian bees, as a general thing, make themselves 

 at home in a new location more readily than the Black bees, and stick more tenaciously 

 to their home and brood. Sometimes shaking the bees down in front of the hive and 

 letting them run into it again, like a natural swarm, will be sufficient to make them 

 stick to a new locality. 



Another plan, which has been tried successfully, is to take the hive away for an 

 hour or two until they get really frightened at the loss of their home. They will then 

 all go in eagerly as soon as the hive is brought back to them again. In this case they 

 seem so glad to get their old home again that they will stay in it wherever it is placed. 



Sometimes when it has been necessary to move a colony, we have succeeded by 

 first moving the hive to its new location, then placing an empty hive with a comb in 

 it on the old stand for the returning bees to cluster on, because many of them, after 

 leaving the hive in its new location, will not be able to find their way back to it again 

 and will go back to the old stand. These must be taken back to their new location 

 and shaken out close in front of the hive just before dark. 



The best plan to follow, when it is necessary to move colonies, is to place a piece 

 of board, or hang an old sack over the front of the hive, so that the bees, when they 

 come out, will recognize that there is a striking change in their surroundings and will 

 circle round and round the hive to take their bearings. These obstructions may be 

 removed after one day, and no further trouble will be experienced. 



Question J>. — I have a great many sections half full ; can I mix honey, sugar and 

 water and let the bees finish them ? If so, what proportion of each would be best ? 



Answer. — Do not think for one minute of using even the smallest proportion of 

 sugar to finish sections. If you want to feed to have sections finished, use diluted 

 honey, but very few bee-keepers have been able to make it pay. It is better to sell at a 

 reduced price sections that ai*e not finished and let the bees empty out any that are ■ 

 less than half full. Pile up, out of doors, supers of sections you want bees to empty, 

 and allow entrance for only one or two bees at a time. If you allow a larger entrance, 

 the bees will tear the comb to pieces. Sections partly filled may also be fed to weak 

 colonies or those colonies which have not sufficient stores for winter in the following 



