64 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



with the least possible disturbance of the bees. I then bore a hole 

 — say an inch in diameter — in the front end of the hive, a few 

 inches above the bottom entrance, and fasten a metal bee-escape 

 over the hole and on the outside of the hive. I do the foregoing to- 

 wards sunset and then let the colony alone until the next morning. 



I now prepare an empty hive by filling the brood-chamber with 

 a set of frames — less one or two — filled with foundation or simply 

 narrow strips of the same. I now go to any strong, healthy colony 

 and remove one or two combs of brood, with or without the ad- 

 hering bees, and place the same in the prepared hive. 



I now gently as possible reverse the diseased colony, or turn 

 it end for end, and move it sidewise the width of the hive, or a 

 trifle more, and leave the bee entrance open — when this is done 

 I then place the prepared hive on the old stand, but with its bee- 

 entrance in the opposite direction. This may all be done any time 

 in the forenoon or when the bees are busy getting honey from the 

 flowers. The bees will now, on their return from work, or play, 

 enter the prepared hive and remain there, and within two or three 

 days the main force of the matured bee will be transferred to their 

 old location. 



Now towards sunset blow a few puffs of smoke upon the caged 

 queen, to drive the bees away from it, and then transfer the queen 

 to the colony in the prepared hive. She may be given her liberty 

 at once and by way of the bee-entrance. Now close the bee-en- 

 trance to the diseased colony so that no bees can pass in nor out 

 except through the bee-escape, and gently reverse the hive again 

 so that both hives will now front the same way. Both hives should 

 now set close together or within an inch or so of each other. From 

 now on all the bees in the diseased colony must pass out or through 

 the bee-escape, and, as they can not return, they must and will'go 

 into the prepared hive. In about three weeks all the healthy brood 

 in the diseased colony will be hatched out and soon thereafter all 

 the bees will be found in the prepared hive — and no loss of either 

 bees or labor. The contents of the diseased colony may now be 

 taken to some proper place and be disposed of by burning the same. 

 This is best done in a room or building to which no outside bees 

 can gain access and get at the honey. But it is not necessary that 

 this should be a total loss. Such combs as contain honey and are 

 free of diseased brood may be extracted and saved for table use, 

 and the empty combs melted and made into wax — those that con- 

 tain brood may as well be burned up at once — frames and all — 

 as the cost of replacing them nowadays is but a trifle anyway. 



