The Manipulation of Bees 



239 



Desirability of straight combs in manipulation. 



The use of comb-foundation in the frames is desirable to 

 insure uniform comb, all of worker cells, except in places 

 where the foundation may sag or become torn. Drone 

 comb is undesirable ex- 

 cept in raising drones for 

 queen-rearing. The use 

 of comb-foundation in 

 wired frames insures 

 straight combs and re- 

 duces the danger of bees 

 being crushed in remov- 

 ing or in returning 

 frames. A frame-hive 

 with combs built cross- 

 wise is more difficult to 

 handle than a box-hive 

 and this should never be 

 permitted. The en- 

 trance of the hive should 

 be exactly horizontal so 

 that the combs will hang 

 parallel with the sides 

 of the hive and so that 

 the outer ones are not 

 fastened to the hive- 

 body, if they are prop- 

 erly spaced at the top. 

 The back of the hive 

 should be about one 

 inch higher than the 

 front to allow condensed moisture to escape. A hive level- 

 ing device made by Burton N. Gates is shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration (Fig. 104) which needs no descrip- 

 tion. This has been found useful, especially with the tile 

 hive-stands used in the Bureau of Entomology apiary. 



FIG. 104. Hive leveling device. In the 

 upper figure the wedge-shaped piece is 

 on edge so that when the top is level 

 the hive entrance is one inch lower than 

 the back. In the lower figure the 

 wedge is on its side. 



