THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST. 



221 



taking wing. Now, to make bees stay 

 on the combs or in a box wlien brush- 

 ing from the combs into one, I have 

 found nothing better than a small amount 

 of tobacco smoke. .\s it is inconvenient 

 to use a small, common pipe for a bee- 

 smoker, I devised a tin one. This pipe, 

 fig. 2, has a wooden stopper in each 

 end, and a small tin tube in one end 

 through which the smoke is directed to 

 the bees. This smoker is made of light 

 material and is held between the teeth 

 while the hands are at liberty. It is 

 called a fumi£rator. The fuel used 



Fig. 2. The Alley fumigaior. 



is cigar clippings which may be ob- 

 tained of any tobacconist at about 20 

 cents per pound. This quality of tobac- 

 co is used as it has the least strength 

 of any manufactured. 7/ will no I do to 

 use strong smoking tobacco about bees. 



While the bees are confined in the 

 hive a small amount of smoke is blown 

 in among them. It is important to have 

 all the bees feel the effect of the smoke, 

 and in order to do that some ten or 

 fifteen minutes should be spent in 

 drumming on the hive and smoking the 

 bees. Only a small quantity of smoke 

 should be introduced at a time. When 

 the bees seem to be getting quiet they 

 are left alone several minutes. Then 

 the honey-board, or whatever is used to 

 cover the frames is removed and the 

 adhering bees shaken from it into a 

 box. (The box I use is the cap to a 

 Langstroth hive.) The combs are taken 

 out, each one examined for the queen, 

 then the bees are brushed into the box. 



As it is sometimes necessary to replace 

 the combs in the hive in the origmal 

 position, I usually mark them across the 

 the top-bar at the back end with a nail 

 or pencil. 



If the bees attempt to fly out or crawl 

 up the sides of the box, the fimiigator 

 is directed that way and a small quan- 

 tity of smoke will keep tliem quiet and 

 at the bottom of the box. Occasionally 



brush them down the sides of the box 

 and but few of them will attempt to get 

 out of it or to fly. 



As the combs are cleaned of bees 

 they are stood on one end and leaned 

 against some object. In doing this the 

 frames of brood should be so jilaced 

 that the brood of one frame will not 

 touch that in another frame. Should 

 it do so and remain in that position long 

 it would be destroyed. 



So place the combs that there will be a 

 circulation of air about them. There is 

 no danger of the brood chilling if the tem- 

 perature of the room stands at 50°. In 

 cool weather the room should be warmed 

 so that it will be comfortable to one 

 with his coat off; as it is much easier 

 handling bees in a fairly warm temper- 

 ature. 



Finding the queen. 



If the queen is not found as the 

 combs are looked over, it will be nec- 

 essary to examine the bees in the box. 

 Unless readily found, I generally take a 

 thin piece of wood, say a piece about 

 four inches long, two inches wide and an 

 eighth of an inch thick, and push the bees, 

 a few at a time, towards one end of the 

 box. As I do so, they are turned over 

 so as to bring the bottom ones to the 

 top. If the queen is not found by one 

 such operation, repeat it. When found 

 and caged, the bees are at once placed 

 in the swarm-box. 



Disposing of brood. 



If a large number of queens are to be 

 reared, it will be necessary to treat sev- 

 eral colonies as above, say about two 

 each day until the number to be used 

 for cell- building is in operation. It will 

 be necessary, of course, to dispose of 

 the brood taken from these colonies. 

 My plan is this : all the combs that have 

 only capped brood in them are placed 

 in the weakest colonies, and the un- 

 capped brood is given the strong col- 

 onies ; thus it will be seen that a large 

 amount of brood is easily disposed of 

 to the best advantage if there are thirty 



