FRAMES, TO MANIL'TILATE. 



21 r^ 



FRAMES, TO MANIPULATE. 



meet with a '" warm reception/" But before 

 this takes place, he will usually see on the 

 part of the bees a nervous, quick movement, 

 their bodies turning either to the right or 



Vw. 10. Holding a smoker between the knees while 

 manipulating frames. 



to the left, apparently ready to take wing. 

 When they do so, it will be a quick sharj) 

 dart, without warning, for any exposed part 

 of the bee-keeper's anatomy. But even if 

 the bees do make a general onslaught, and 



smoker while the operator proceeds to handle 

 the frames. 



HOW TO HANDLE UNSPACED FRAMES. 



To get at the center frame, crowd the 

 frames, one at a time, adjacent to it, to- 

 ward the sides of the hive. This will give 

 room to lift out the desired frame, liegin- 

 ners are very apt to pull the frame out ; 

 without spacing the frames apart. This j 

 rolls the bees over and over, enrages and j 

 maims them, besides running a pretty good I 

 chance of killing the queen. Lift the frame ! 

 out carefully, and be careful not to knock 

 the end-bars against the sides of the hive. 

 If it is one's first experience he may be 

 nervous, and do things a little hurriedly. 

 As a reward, the bees will quite likely 

 sting him andniake him still more nervous. 

 To avoid this, proceed very cautiously and 

 make the movements deliberate. Having 

 removed the frame, hold it up as shown in 

 Fig. 1, which we will call the first position. 



Perhaps the queen is not to be seen on this 

 side so it may be necessary to turn it over and 

 see the other side. If the comb is not heavy 

 with honey, it can be turned right over with 

 the bottom-bar resting horizontally. But a 

 better way and a good habit to fall into, and 

 one that bee-keepers usually adopt, is to 

 raise the left hand until the top-bar is per- 

 pendicular, as shown in Fig. 2. 



Now revolve the frame like a swinging 

 door, or the leaf of a book, so that the oppo- 

 site side is exposed to view (see Fig. 2). 



Fi(i. 1. 



Fk; 



Fig. d. 



Fk;. 4. 



grab as if about to strike, the sting may be 

 averted if the operator is quick enough to 

 brush the bee or bees off. There is an in- 

 terval of a fraction of a second, not very 

 long it is true, in which, after the bee shoves 

 its claws into the fiesh, that it can be brush- 

 ed olf , before the sting gets into action, for 

 a bee, when it stings, must have a good 

 strong bold, and it is while it is taking this 

 hold that the apiarist can often save himself 

 many a wicked jab. 



If, then, the bees seem inclined to tly up, 

 smoke them just enough to keep them down. 

 If an attendant is present, let him use the 



Lower the left hand as in Fig. 8 until it 

 reaches the position as shown in Fig. 4. To 

 examine the other side follow the exact re- 

 verse order. 



Having examined this frame, lean it up 

 against the side of the hive, and remove an- 

 other frame next to the one already taken. 

 Examine this in like manner. Lean this 

 also against one corner of the hive, or return 

 it to its place; lift out another, and so on un- 

 til all have been examined. Xow, should 

 the queen not yet have been found, look the 

 frames all over again, being careful to ex- 

 amine the bottom edge of the combs. 



