464 



GLEAN^GS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



screen. By removing- one of the end strips 

 we should have a hive-bottom with the bot- 

 tom made of wire cloth instead of a board, 

 with the entrance at one end as usual; but 

 as it is designed for confining- bees for the 

 purpose of accepting cups or to carry them 

 from one location to another, and at the 

 same time afford ample ventilation, the pic- 

 ture very plainly shows how it should be 

 constructed. 



As will be made plain further on, the hive 

 of queenless bees is placed on this ventila- 

 tor from above; a queen-excluder, with a 

 laying queen, below; or a hive is provided 

 with combs containing honey, a little water 

 and pollen, or pollen and sugar syrup, when 

 no combs containing honey are at hand. 



THE HIVE-COVER AS MADE FOR THE READY 

 OF PREPARED CELLS. 



and the bees brushed or shaken into it 

 from combs containing brood in all stages; 

 and the hive-cover, especially arranged for 

 this purpose, is at once adjusted, so that 

 not a bee can escape. 



By getting light and ventilation from the 

 bottom, their efforts to escape are in that 

 direction, and there is not the immediate 

 rush outward by the bees when an opening 

 is made at the top of the hive that there 

 would be if the hive were ventilated at the 

 top instead of at the bottom. 



The cover is made with slots or spaces 

 through which to insert the cell-frame, and 

 they should be arranged the right distance 

 apart for the slats or bars dividing them to 

 cover exactly one or two brood-frames ac- 

 cording to the wishes of the operator. 



In arranging the combs in the hive, enough 

 are left out to form the number of spaces 



immediately under the openings in the cov- 

 er for the insertion of the desired number 

 of batches of cups. Each space is provid- 

 ed with a cover or stopper. These stoppers 

 are removed one at a time to insert the cell- 

 frame, and are immediately readjusted so 

 as to prevent the escape of a great many 

 bees. As a stopper is raised, a few gentle 

 puffs of smoke will turn the bees downward, 

 and the number that escape will do no harm 

 so far as the work of accepting the cups is 

 concerned, or the commotion caused by the 

 return of the few that do escape to the hive 

 whence they came. 



There is a cell-frame shown under the 

 cover, to give an idea of its adjustment be- 

 tween the combs. A shade-board or an ad- 

 ditional cover should 

 be placed over the 

 whole, to protect it 

 from sun or rain, 

 and make it more 

 comfortable for the 

 bees. 



Since making the 

 fact known that con- 

 fined bees on combs 

 were used here to in- 

 sure the prompt ac- 

 ceptance of cups, by 

 at first simply using 

 an oilcloth and ordi- 

 nary cover over the 

 frames, the idea has 

 grown in popularity 

 until a number have 

 devised plans for ad- 

 justing the cell-bars 

 over the slots in the 

 cover, and withdraw- 

 ing the slides to ad- 

 mit the bees to the 

 cups, and thus over- 

 come the escape of 

 any bees whatever. 

 Mr. H. E. Hill, edit- 

 or of the American 

 INSERTION OF FRAMES Bee-Kecpcr, was the 

 first to accomplish 

 this freak by the use 

 of a U-shaped tin slide resting in the slot 

 over which the cell-bar is placed, and then 

 the tin slide withdrawn endwise, which is 

 verj' nice and convenient ; but changes, im- 

 provements, and short cuts are following- 

 each other in rapid succession, and a bet- 

 ter arrangement for accomplishing the same 

 results b}^ more simple manipulations will 

 soon follow. 



As stated above, a hive provided with 

 combs containing honey, pollen, and a little 

 water (enough being omitted to leave spaces 

 for the number of frames of prepared cups 

 to be given, as the latter should be alter- 

 nated between the combs) placed on the ven- 

 tilating-hive bottom is ready for bees from 

 any normal colony. After finding the 

 queen and setting the frame she is on to 

 one side, so as to be sure of not taking her 

 with the bees, simply shake the bees from 



