1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



4'J7 



if they transfer at all by the direct method, can do it 

 to the best advantage. 



The other installments will follow in consecutive 

 order and at their conclusion we hope to put them in 

 pamphlet form for the benefit of beginners and ama- 

 teurs who may not have time to read the more ex- 

 tended works now offered for sale.— Ed.] 



When I started keeping bees in a modern 

 hive I would have scouted the idea of ever 

 having to vprestle with the problem of trans- 

 ferring; yet 1 had performed the operation 

 in less than three months. That was to be 

 my first and only venture; but in my second 

 year of bee-keeping I transferred twice, and 

 I suspect I shall probably beat 

 that record in my third season, 

 as I am in a locality where gums 

 are many and hives are few, and 

 I am just starting in afresh. 



There are two ways of trans- 

 ferring — the direct and the indi- 

 rect. The latter is by far the 

 more preferable, I suspect; but 

 I have never practiced it, for 

 the simple reason 1 have alwavs 

 wanted to transfer when the 

 conditions demanded the direct 

 method. I hope to follow in 

 the future the indirect route, 

 but at the same time I do not 

 look upon the other any more 

 as a serious ordeal. 



In the direct method the 

 combs are cut out of their orig- 

 inal position and transferred to 

 the frames of a regular hive; in 

 the indirei^t method the bees only 

 are transferred, anil that grad- 

 ually, to their new home. It is 

 the first I am about to describe 

 and illustrate. 



My firtst venture in tran->fer- 

 ring was easy — merely changing 

 the bees and combs from the 

 regular Huffman frames to the 

 Danzenbaker Since the orig- 

 inal frame was considerably wid- 

 er than the Danzenbaker, an(l as 

 the combs were simply perfect, 

 it was no trick at ail to cut 

 from the one. trim to the proper 

 size, and place in position in 

 the smaller frame, where they 

 were held in place by a string 

 of loose fibrous nature that was 

 wound round the frames several 

 times and fastened securely. 

 In a week the hive was opened 

 and the strings cut away as the 

 combs were found firmly fixed 

 in position 



My second venture was for a friend who 

 had fallen heir to a colony housed in a soap- 

 box, and he wished them put in a regular 

 hive. This proved a more difficult propo- 

 sition, but I carried it through all right; but 

 since I did some things rather awkwardly I 

 prefer to describe my third venture, which 

 was the most difficult of all. 



The following tools have been found nec- 

 essary: Heavy hammer, cold chisel, sharp 

 steel knife (a carver is excellent), a saw 



(I always have it handy but have never 

 used it); a large empty tin biscuit- box with 

 a hinged lid to receive scraps of comb which 

 can be made useful afterward: a board a lit- 

 tle larger than the frames; a table, preferably 

 covered with oilcloth; an empty box whose 

 opening is, as nearly as possible, the same as 

 that of the lower part of the hive to be oper- 

 ated upon: a couple of moderately heavy 

 sticks for drumming with; a pail of water 

 and a towel; a ball of binding-twine, or for 

 small frames a box of rubber bands, which 

 are much handier, and a bee-brush or a wisp 



FIG. 1. — DRUMMING THE BEES UP INTO THE EMPTY BOX. 



of grass. Since the new hive must necessa- 

 rily occupy the place of the old one it is 

 better to do the work a little to one side or 

 at the rear of the latter so as to save time in 

 disposing of each frame as it is prepared. 



I prefer a clear sunshiny day when the 

 thermometer shows at least 65 degrees in the 

 shade, so as to avoid as far as possible any 

 chilling of the brood. Of course, there are 

 certain seasons when the free flow of i nectar 

 makes them more favorable; but I would at 



