SWARM NET. 249 



to suit the fancy of the user) b b are sockets, made 

 of cotton cloth; e c are sticks, seven feet long, in- 

 serted through the sockets, and extending on either 

 side of the hive, and for the purpose of retaining the 

 net in position ; d d are screws (two seen and two 

 not seen) for the ends of the sticks to rest on ; e, & 

 stick driven into the ground, with a cross piece on the 

 top, to support the outer end of the net. 



The mouth of the net embraces the entrance pas- 

 sages of the hive, and is temporarily fastened by 

 means of buttons //, whereby the bees are com- 

 pelled to enter the net ; g is an aperture in the outer 

 end of the net, and is to be kept closed while the 

 swarm is being caught and confined, and opened to 

 let them out for hiving, as shown in plate xxxin, fig. 

 58, which represents a hive with the slide tempora- 

 rily removed, to afford the bees free entrance. 



Th.e net containing the swarm, is placed with one 

 end on the ground, and the other (with aperture g 

 open) resting against the entrance of the hive, to 

 allow the bees to run out of the net into the hive. 



In order to use the net successfully, a strict watch 

 should be kept over the bees, in order to see the 

 swarm as soon as it commences to emerge. The net 

 is then to be immediately applied, and as soon as the 

 swarm has entered it, remove the net ; tie the mouth, 

 to prevent the escape of the bees ; it may then be 

 set away in a shady place, to be hived at leisure. 

 Before opening the net, for the migration of the bees 

 to the hive, they should be freely sprinkled with cold 

 11* 



