SEPTEMBER 1, 1912 



551 



G. C. Greiner's apiary in winter quarters. The hives are gradually moved together in groups, and tlien 



the sheds set up over them. 



The editor says : "It was his jji-actice, 

 however, to move the bees from the sev- 

 eral stands in the bee-yard to a new posi- 

 tion under the shed." This gives a wrong- 

 impression. Practically I never move my 

 bees under nor into the shed ; but I move 

 the shed around the bees. These sheds are 

 made in sections for that purjoose. Sides, 

 ends, bottoms, and roofs are adjustable, 

 and held together by square-headed wood 

 screws. The only moving or shifting of 

 bees I ever do is done early in the season, 

 right after the last honey-tlow, and very 

 gradually, and not, as the editor says, "late 

 in the season and all at once." That would 

 surely cause a general mixup on the first 

 flying day after the operation. 



DDnnDDDnnn 



1 23456789 10 



4 



SUM/nER POSITION 



D nnn an ddd d 



4/5 6 



AFTER FIRST SHIFT 



DDDDD DDDDD 



12345 6789 10 



SHIFTED READY FOR SHEDS 



PACK ED IN 3HED5 



To exj^lain fully the proper way of mov- 

 ing bees successfully — that is, without any 

 loss of bees — I refer the reader to the ac- 

 companying drawing. The upper row 

 shows ten colonies as I work them for ex- 

 tracted honey during the season. They are 

 equally spaced with two feet in the clear 

 between the hives. 



The second roAv shows the same hives af- 

 ter the first shift is made. The four hives, 

 2, 4, 7, 9, are moved their width toward 

 the center hives 3 and 8. After two or 

 three days (and, of course, I mean flying 

 days), when these shifted colonies have 

 again become accustomed to their new loca- 

 tion, the end hives of each section of five, 

 represented by the figures 1, 5, 6, 10, may 

 tlien be slightly moved 

 toward their respec- 

 tive centers. Under no 

 consideration should 

 these latter be shifted 

 at the same time when 

 the first shift, Fig. 2, 

 is made. That would 

 bring their new 

 stand too near the 

 stands of those just 

 moved, so that more 

 or less mixing up 

 would be encouraged. 

 The tliird row shoAvs 

 the ten colonies in 

 position ready for the 

 sheds. If carefully 

 managed, and if the 

 shifting has been done 

 according to the hints 



