104 EECS. 



DRIVING. 



In the hands of a skilful operator, driving- will be often 

 found useful, as it partly supersedes the necessity of fumig-a- 

 tion. By driving-, the bee-master induces his winged aux- 

 iliaries to change their position, by working- on their fears 

 instead of stupifying- what brains they have. The best 

 method of driving- the bees will be found in the pages of 

 Bevan, who appears to think very highly of the operation. 

 *' Towards the dusk of the evening-, when the family will be 

 all, or nearly all at home, and no annoyance be experienced 

 from strang-er-bees, let the hive, or box, be raised gently 

 from its floor-board, and supported on three thin wedges; 

 let an assistant be at hand, provided with a tobacco pipe, 

 or the fumigating- box and bellows, from one of which at the 

 moment of raising the hive, let a few whiffs of tobacco 

 .smoke be blown into it all roimd, and a few more after it 

 has been raised. This expedient will soon induce the bees to 

 ascend and congregate at the upper part of the hive. It is 

 next to be inverted steadily on a small tub or peck measure, 

 puffed again, and then quickly and accurately surmounted 

 by an empty hive or box, as nearly of its own diameter as 

 possible. After securely closing the two hives, by tying- a 

 cloth firmly round them above and below the junction, so 

 that not a bee may escape, it will be proper to place an 

 empty decoy hive upon the stand where the full hive stood, 

 to amuse any straggling bees that may have stayed out late, 

 or that may escape during the operation. The conjoined 

 hives are then to be removed into a darkened room, in the 

 manner already described, when, if the hive be well peopled, 

 and the rveatlier warrrij by drumming at first gently, and 

 then smartly with the open hands or a couple of sticks on 

 the outside of the hive, the bees will be so alarmed, that iu 

 a few minutes they will have ascended into the super. The 

 ascent may always be ascertained by the humming- noise 

 attending- it. The impulse thus communicated to the bees 

 should be given in the direction of the combs, and by no 

 ^eans upon those parts of the hive which are opposite to 

 their sides, as it might separate them from their attach- 

 ments. 



