AUSTRALIAN BEE LOEE AND BEE CULTURE- 



bees cannot get underneath it. It is when they are in^prisoned, 

 and pressure brought to bear by the coat, that they get angry, and 

 they then draw swords in self-defence. Should you be stung, keep 

 cool, grin and bear it. For if you strike at the bees, and run 

 "with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again, ' 

 yea, and that ten-fold. As soon as the bees, by means of the 

 jerk, have fallen into the box, lower it to the ground, turn it 

 gently over, mouth downwards, so that the bees roll out on the 

 ground ; place the mouth of the box over them, one side of it 

 resting on a small stone or bit of wood, so that they can have 

 ingress and egress. If you have secured the queen, the bees on 

 the wing will quickly gather round the box. If she be not there, 

 they will speedily return to the spot from whence they were 

 shaken. In that case, wait till they have again clustered, and 

 again go through the process of boxing. When you have safely 

 boxed them, take them home, where yoii should always have a 

 hive properly supplied with frames fitted with foundation comb, 

 ready for their reception. Remove the cover of your hive, take 

 the box containing the bees in both hands, the open end upvards, 

 gently shake by swinging the box around, as if washing out a 

 bucket. Do not be rash, and throw them on the top of the bar- 

 frames. Cover them over with the quilt till evening ; by that 

 time they will have descended. You may then replace the cover 

 of the hive. If your hive is within 2 or 3 inches of the ground, 

 and it should not be more, you may turn out the bees on the 

 ground in front of the hive, close to the entrance. They will soon 

 find their way in. 



If the bees are established in a tree or log, they will have to 

 be ciat out by the method known to every bushman. You want the 

 bees, not the honey. Let the bees be primary, and the honey 

 secondary. If you can reach the bee-entrance to their nest, take 

 the smoke-bellows and blow in a fairly good supply of smoke. 

 Sometimes the comb is some distance from the entrance. In such 

 cases more smoke is required than if it be nearer. The smoke 

 and the jarring caused by the axe in cutting into the tree fre- 

 quently causes the majority of the bees to leave the comb, and 

 retire into some other portion of the hollow, where they will be 

 found clustered, as they are frequently seen hanging on a branch. 

 Ofttimes to dislodge them requires patience. If they are easily 

 reached, lay open the cavity in which they are clustered by cutting 

 away the timber. Place the open end of an empty box over the 

 bees. A few puffs of smoke from the bellows will often cause 



