TAKING BUSH BEES. 105 



■means, if it be possible, chop the nest out as the tree stands. In 

 chopping, when you come to the nest, with a little care, you will 

 be able to secure the brood combs without breakage. Remember 

 the young brood in the comb is the most important factor in the 

 nest ; that is if you are intending to strengthen your apiary. 

 True, dirty and as full of foul matter as it may be, the honey is 

 useful to feed back to your bees for winter storage. I have seen 

 more than once, in chopping the bees from a log, when the nest 

 is reached, that very few bees were to be seen amongst it or on it. 

 This is one of the most happy acts the bees can accomplish for 

 their own safety and for your success in operating. The bees will 

 leave from timidity as soon as they feel the jarring caused by the 

 chopping process, act precisely the same as they do under the im 

 pulse of the tapping that is used in driving when transferring them 

 from a gin-case hive to one of the modern bar-frame type, or as 

 was done when robbing the former makeshift hives. The bees 

 v/ill only do so if there be an additional cavity in the tree by 

 means of which they can escape from their two-footed enemy. In the 

 illustration on page 101, our hero does not appear to have met witla 

 a tree with the desired additional cavity, or the bees are extra 

 vigilant, judging from the swarming seen around both man and 

 tub. In chopping do not spare the tree. Remove as much of the 

 timber as will give you full access to the combs, so that they may 

 be removed in as large slabs as possible. Large combs are always 

 easier to adjust in bar-frames than smaller pieces. The latter 

 require a lot of manipulating to fit them. If, when you arrive 

 at the nest, the bees are seen still clinging to the combs, try a 

 little moral suasion to dislodge them therefrom. This can be 

 accomplished by placing a box over the nest. See tnat one side 

 of the box rests near to where the bees are in the most dense cluster 

 -SO they can ascend to it with freedom. Remove some of the 

 combs gently. If there are no young brood therein, put it in the 

 honey tub. Hold all empty comb up to the light to see if there 

 are eggs therein. They are as valuable as brood, nay more so. 

 As you take out each bit of comb examine it carefully to see if the 

 queen is thereon. You are more likely to find her between the 

 combs of brood, or where there are the greatest number of bees 

 clustered. Satisfied that the queen is not on it, brush the bees 

 vS with a biir.ch of ferns or leaves, and put it in the receptacle for 

 the honey ; have another tub or box for the brood-comb. Do not 

 mix the brood and honey together; it will cause the death of a 

 number of bees. Having removed sufficient comb to get at the 



