18 BEES. 
do not sting much unless unusually provoked or except in bad 
weather. Common black bees or crosses of blacks with other races 
are more irritable. It may be well worth while for the beginner to 
procure gentle bees while gaining experience in manipulation. Later 
on, this is less important, for the bee keeper learns to handle bees 
with the least inconvenience to himself or to them. 
Before opening a hive the smoker should be lighted and the veil 
put on. <A few puffs of smoke directed into the entrance will cause 
the bees to fill themselves with honey and will drive back the guards. 
The hive cover should be raised gently, if necessary being pried 
loose with a screw-driver or special hive tool. As soon as a small 
opening is made, more smoke should be blown in on the tops of the 
frames, or if a mat covering for the frames is used, the cover should 
be entirely removed and one corner of the mat lifted to admit smoke. 
It is not desirable to use any more smoke than just enough to subdue 
the bees and keep them down on the frames. At any time during 
manipulation, if they become excited, more smoke may be used. 
Do not stand in front of the entrance, but at one side or the back. 
After the frames are exposed they may be loosened by prying with 
the hive tool and 
crowded together 
a little so as to 
give room for the 
removal of one 
frame. In cool 
weather the pro- 
polis (bee glue) 
may be brittle. 
Care should be exercised not to loosen this with a jar. The first 
frame removed can be leaned against the hive, so that inside there 
will be more room for handling the others. During all manipulations 
bees must not be mashed or crowded, for that irritates the colony 
greatly and may make it necessary to discontinue operations. Undue 
crowding may also mash the queen. If bees crawl on the hands, 
they may be gently brushed off or thrown off. 
In examining a frame always hold it over the hive, so that any bees 
or queen which fall may drop into it. Freshly gathered honey also 
often drops from the frame, and if it falls in the hive the bees can 
quickly clean it up, whereas if it drops outside it is untidy and may 
cause robbing. If a frame is temporarily leaned against the hive, it 
should be placed in a nearly upright position to prevent breakage 
and leaking of honey. The frame on which the queen is located 
should not be placed on the ground, for fear she may crawl away and 
be lost. It is best to lean the frame on the side of the hive away 
from the operator, so that bees will not crawl up the legs. 
397 
Fig. 11.—Handling the frame: First position. 
