152 BEEHIVES AND BEE KEEPERS^ APPLIANCES. 



and a slot, 7 in. long by \ in. wide, is cut in the 

 bottom at H. Two triangular pieces I (Fig. 145) 

 are cut to the shape shown, and nailed to the 

 bottom of the catcher on each side at J (Fig. 144), 

 and the space between them is covered with ex- 

 cluder zinc K (Figs. 144 and 145). A lid L is fitted 

 to the top of the catcher to keep in the swarm 

 and to keep the bees dry in case of rain. 



The method of working this catcher is as 

 follows : When the swarm issues through the 

 flight hole M, the workers pass through the ex- 

 cluder zinc K, but as the queen cannot pass this, 



Fig. 147 Pipe-cover Queen Bee Cage. 



she walks up K and passes through H into the 

 catcher, where the bees forming the swarm join 

 her. In the evening the parent hive is moved 

 about a yard away, and the combs in the catcher 

 are put into a new hive with the swarm, together 

 with four more combs, one of which should, if 

 possible, contain brood. 



In some swarm catchers the bottom slots of 

 the excluder zinc N (Figs. 144 to 146) are cut away, 

 and a number of very flexible brass springs are 

 fixed across the entrance, to enable the workers 

 to enter the hive without hindrance when return- 

 ing home loaded with pollen. The arrangement 

 of these will be clear from Fig. 146, in which M 



