2», BEES. 
foundation will bring this about and is also of value in making the 
combs straight, so that bees are not mashed in removing the frame. 
It is extremely difficult to remove combs built crosswise in the hive, 
and this should never be allowed to occur. Such a hive is even 
worse than a plain box hive. Superfluous inside fixtures should be 
avoided, as they tend only to impede manipulation. The hive should 
also be placed so that the entrance is perfectly horizontal and a little 
lower than the back of the hive. The frames will then hang in a 
vertical position, and the outer ones will not be fastened by the bees 
to the hive body if properly spaced at the top. 
In placing frames in the hive great care should be exercised that 
they are properly spaced. Some frames are seif-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 dis- 
tances well and are 
preferred by many 
professional bee keep- 
ers. If unspaced 
frames are used, the 
brood frames should 
be 12 inches from cen- 
ter to center. A little 
practice will usually 
enable anyone to space 
quickly and accu- 
rately. Careful spac- 
ing is necessary to prevent the building of combs of irregular thick- 
ness and to retard the building of pieces of comb from one frame to 
another. 
A beginner in beekeeping 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 experimentation and a study of bee activity are 
absolute necessities in the practical handling of bees. 
Fie. 16.—Handling the frame: Third position. 
TRANSFERRING. 
Tn 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 
447 
