20 BEES. 
possible without squeezing the poison sac, which is usually attached. 
This can be done by scraping it out with a knife or finger nail. 
After this is done the injured spot should be let alone and not rubbed 
with any liniment. The intense itching will soon disappear; any 
irritation only serves to increase the after swelling. 
In placing frames in the hive great care should be exercised that 
they are properly spaced. Some frames are self-spacing, having pro- 
jections on the side, so that when placed as close as possible they are 
the correct distance apart. These are good for beginners or persons 
who do not judge distances well and are preferred by many profes- 
sional bee keepers. If unspaced frames are used, they should be 12 
inches from center to center. A little practice will usually enable any- 
one to space quickly and accurately. Careful spacing is necessary to 
prevent the building of combs of irregular thickness and to retard the 
building of pieces of comb from one frame to another. 
A beginner in bee keeping should by all means, if possible, visit 
some experienced bee keeper to get suggestions in handling bees. 
More can be learned in a short visit than in a considerably longer time 
in reading directions, and numerous short cuts which are acquired by 
experience will well repay the trouble or expense of such a visit. . Not 
all professional bee keepers manipulate in the very best way, but later 
personal experience will correct any erroneous information. Above 
all, personal experimenting and a study of bee activity are absolute 
necessities in the practical handling of bees. 
TRANSFERRING. 
In increasing the apiary it is sometimes best to buy colonies in box 
hives on account of their smaller cost and to transfer them to hives 
with movable frames. This should be done as soon as possible, for 
box-hive colonies are of small value as producers. The best time to 
transfer is in the spring (during fruit bloom in the North) when the 
amount of honey and the population of the colony are at a minimum. 
Transferring should not be delayed until spring merely because 
that season is best for the work. It may be done at any time during 
the active season, but, whenever possible, during a honey flow, to pre- 
vent robbing. If necessary, it may be done in a tent such as is often 
used in manipulating colonies. By choosing a time of the day when 
the largest number of bees are in the field the work will be lessened. 
The box hive should be moved a few feet from its stand and in its 
place should be put a hive containing either full sheets of foundation 
or empty combs. The box hive should be turned upside down and a 
small, empty box fitted onit. By drumming continuously on the box 
hive for a considerable time the bees will be made to desert their 
combs and go to the upper box, and when most of them are clustered 
above the box may be carried to the new hive and the bees dumped in 
front of the entrance. The queen will usually be seen as the bees 
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