1907.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



169 



been a little comb built, but no matter, 

 it will help the next swarm that much. 

 Some bee-keepers give the brushed 

 bees a little brood to hold them. 



All authorities on shaken swarms 

 agree that the bees ought to be made 

 to fill themselves with honey before 

 they are shaken or brushed from their 

 combs. When the bees were driven 

 no such operation was necessary, for 

 during the process of "drumming" they 

 did not leave home without taking a 

 load with them, and I am of the opin- 

 ion now that we could with advantage 

 drive the bees with our modern hives 

 as well as when straw-skeps were used. 



part of the bees on the combs or when 

 the queen is not clipped. When prac- 

 ticing this method in the outyards I 

 cannot very well get along without 

 the queens being clipped. It is a 

 safeguard, and while entrance guard 

 may in cases answer as well, we can- 

 not always have them in place on all 

 hives. 



After a swarm is shaken dissatisfac- 

 tion sometimes arises among the mass- 

 es, possibly also among the royalty, 

 although I don't think that occurs. I 

 think the queens are subject to the 

 workers and must go if they so decide. 

 When the masses become dissatisfied 



GREINER'S HIVE-STAND. 



In fact, where hives are as uniform 

 as they should be in a modern apiary, 

 the driving will work easier, as it did 

 with log-gums and straw hives of all 

 sizes and shapes. The only drawback 

 in driving is the uncertainty of get- 

 ting the queen, which, of course, must 

 go with the driven bees or the driving 

 will be a failure. 



In shaking or brushing the bees I 

 always find her ladyship, and when 

 treating a black colony I usually take 

 the precaution to place an entrance 

 guard over the empty hive before com- 

 mencing the operation. This, however, 

 is only necessary when I want to leave 



with the conditions as the bee-master 

 (?) has arranged matters, they just pull 

 out. They seem to think that they can 

 lose nothing, so there they go. If the 

 queen is able to fly and nothing else 

 hinders her following the bees, our 

 hive will be found empty of bees when 

 next we make them a visit. They may 

 swarm out after three or four days. 

 I hardly consider them safe before the 

 seventh day. When the queen is clip- 

 ped, of course she cannot go with the 

 bees. After sailing around they de- 

 cide to come back, for really they 

 have no other place to go. The queen 

 crawling about in front of the hive 



