MOVING JJEES. 



310 



MOVING BEES. 



ouniey tliere is very little fear of their Hy- 

 ing out. 



Tor closing the entraiice iiutiiing is sim- 

 pler and better than a plain strip of wire 

 cloth as long as the inside length of the en- 

 trance and two or three inches wide. This 

 is bent at right angles lengthwise, and then 

 pushed in the entrance, in the manner 

 shown, so that it wedges fast. On arrival 

 at destination the wire cloth can be quickly 

 jerked out. 



In moving our bees to outyards we gener- 

 ally use a two-horse team with an ordinary 

 hay-rack. Hives with bees are put on 

 the bottom; those on top are only emp- 

 ties One should take along a quantity of 

 rope, a hammer, tacks, screwdriver, and a 

 lighted smoker. Be sure it does not go out 

 on the road. A little smoke at just the right 

 time may save the lives of valuable horses, 

 a whole load of bees, and possibly the life of 

 the lee-keeper and of the driver as well 

 While on the route, be sure to give the 

 smoker a " whiff " or two to make sure it is 

 still going. AVe would also carry along a 

 pail of water and a big sponge. If any of 

 the colonies seem to be suffering from lack 

 of ventilation, dash a little water over the 

 wire screen. As a general thing, avoid mov- 

 ing bees by day during very warm weather. 

 Do it at night, when the atmosphere is a 

 little cooler. 



SnrPPING BEES LONG DISTANCES BY EX- 

 PRESS. 



During hot weather great care should be 

 exercised that the bees be not smothered, 

 nor their combs melted down by the intense 

 heat that is generated where they have an 

 insutlicient quantity of air during shipment- 



moved. The cover should be secured about 

 two inches above the wire cloth so it will act 

 as a shade-board for the bees in case the 

 hive should be put in the sun. The cov- 

 er so placed may be the means of saving the 

 lives of the bees. 



C^^-A— - 



THIO DOVETAILED HIVE, PKKPAKKD FOR 

 SHIPPING BEES. 



We always tack a wire screen on to a 

 frame about H inches deep, and of the same 

 width and length as the hive. This is se- 

 cured on top of the hive by means of two 

 wood screws. Nails can be used when pre- 

 ferred, but screws are much more easily re- 



To secure the frames so that they will not 

 shove about, we use a notched stick, as 

 shown at A A, of the accompanying cut, the 

 notches passing down between the frames 

 just over the rabbet in the hive. 



A couple of wire nails hold it secure. A 

 similar notched stick is nailed to the bot- 

 tom-l)oard, notches upward, transversely 

 through the center. This keeps the bottoms 

 of the frames from jarring against each oth- 

 er. After the wire cloth has been tacked to 

 the entrance, the combs put in the hive and 



NUCLEUS SHIPPING BOX. 



secured by the notched sticks, the wire 

 screen screwed down, the whole arrange- 

 ment is I'eady for shii)ment. 



Of course, if your bees are on fixed frames 

 — that is, either the Hoffman or the closed-end, 

 referred to and described under Frames, 

 Manipulating ; Frames, Self-spacing, 

 no notched spacing-strips will be necessary, 

 the frames being already fastened for moving 

 or shipping; and the beauty of it is, no time 

 neetl be lost in preparing them for that pur- 

 pose. 



