BEE-KEEPING 255 



Bees, like men, are rendered gentle by a 

 good dinner, and if they can be made to 

 gorge themselves with honey, they are very 

 easily handled. For this reason, a swarm 

 of bees may be manipulated with impunity, 

 without veil or gloves, as before leaving 

 the hive to seek a new abode, the bees fill 

 their honey sacs as full as possible, knowing 

 that it may be some time before they can get 

 another meal. 



Bees will also fill themselves with honey 

 if they are frightened, and that is why we 

 use what we call a "smoker," in which we 

 burn brown paper, coarse dry sacking, or old 

 fustian. 



Before opening and manipulating the hive, 

 blow a few puffs of smoke in at the entrance. 

 This serves to intimidate the bees, and they 

 immediately run to the honey cells and fill 

 themselves with food, after which they are 

 comparatively harmless. 



The smoker should be kept at hand, and a 

 few puffs of smoke given now and again, if 



