HANDLING. Ill 



fitand on very safe ground. Now you know where to stand, when 

 you are about to handle your bees, and the reason of it. 



The time to examine your bees must be guided by the season 

 and circumstances. In the summer season, any time, if the day 

 be bright; but the middle hours of the day are the best, because 

 there are not the number of bees at home as there are in t(he 

 earlier or later ones. In the colder seasons never open your hives 

 except under very exceptional circumstances ; then select a bright 

 day about noon. 



Charge your smoker with anything that will smoulder, and 

 at the same time will throw off a fair volume of smoke, but will 

 not ignite into flame. Old, semi-rotten bagging^ old fustian, 

 dry cow-droppings, or cotton-waste that has been used to clean 

 the oiled parts of machinery. There are plenty of other things 

 that are equally good. When the contents of the smoker is lit, 

 see that it smoulders well. First, remove the lid of the hive 

 gently and quietly ; next, turn back one corner of the quilt so 

 as to leave a small aperture in that opening ; blow in two or three 

 puffs of smoke, keeping the nozzle of the smoker about six inches 

 from it, so that heated smoke shall not reach the bees. I have 

 more than once seen the wings of bees singed for the want of 

 taking this precaution. Wait two or three seconds after this for 

 the bees to well gorge themselves with honey. It is this gorging 

 of themselves with honey that subdues them, not their knowledge 

 of you, nor smoke that stupifies them. After the lapse of a few 

 seconds, gradually and slowly peel off the quilt. You will find 

 it adhering to the frames rather firmly, especially if it be some 

 time since the bees have been examined. As you peel it off 

 follow it up with a good cloud of smoke, still ke-eping the nozzle 

 well back from the bees. When the whole of the frames are ex- 

 posed, or as many of them as may be required, just look at the 

 bees, some of them will still have their heads in the cells sucking 

 up the honey; others will be walking rather leisurely over the 

 surface of the comb ; others, again, forming little clusters here 

 and there. Those bees on the frame will appear rather longer 

 in the abdomen than those that are coming out of a hive near by 

 that has not been so disturbed. The doi-sal rings of the abdomen 

 of bees when surcharged with honey are distended one from the 

 other by a little whitish ring between each of the plates, six in 

 number. When these whitish rings are visible, the bees are on 

 their best behaviour ; their hum is peaceful and quiet. No more 



