18(i 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



()ntoJ)cr 



acquirod it is not noccssarv that the 

 qnoeifs If^s aro oiuIaiit;;*'r('(l, that she 

 should be rendorod liable to hciiiij l)alled 

 as she is after being: thus liaudled. Nor 

 is it necessary that she shall have rea- 

 son to think she has been seen: nuich 

 less deprived of a \vinj;\ We siiall then 

 assume that any one who takes a (jueen 

 from the comb for tlie simple purpose of 

 ciippinfi her win^j-. is employing a faulty 

 method. 



EVEX A C^KII.l) (AN DO IT. 



The best known method of clipping. 

 which requires but little practice, is as 

 follows: 



An ordinary pocket knife is the only 

 tool necessary. It should have a razor 

 ed^e. If the knife is not very sharp 

 some pressun; will be necessary in order 

 to sever the wing; but with a very k(M'u 

 edge its own weight is sufficient to 

 accomplish the work instantly, without 

 danger of cutting the linger. 



Stand the frame upon wliich the 



queen is found, against the side of the 



I'.ive, or have it otherwise lirnily sup- 



port(Kl in a conv«Miient j)ositi(Mi. Do not 



attempt to catch the wing until the 



quc^en. of lior own accord, assumes an 



upright position: that is. wait until she 



I 



stands or walks witii licad iipwar 1. wliich 

 she will soon tlo. ordinarily. Now. witli 

 tiic knifi' in tln' rii:ht hainl. and llie 

 thuinl) and inilrx linui-r of the left 

 li.li'litlv pressed to^icther. liciitly raise 

 the tip of t!ie left wing with puiiit of 

 tiugi^r and witli a rolling motion, caused 

 by a siinlit contracti(»n of the llniinli 

 and tingei'. engage the tip of the wing. 

 and at the same instant cut off abnut 

 three-.si.\teenths of an inch of th(» ujjper 

 wing thus held. This is acoomplisiiied 

 by simply giving a slight strode of the 

 knife across the wing against the lin<jer- 

 tip. without pressnr<'. 



It sometinu'S occurs that the ipieen 

 carries her wings separately for a mo- 

 ment. A\hile tile novice will recognize 

 this as his chance to catch tiie wing 

 mt)re easily, and hasten to improve the 

 opportunity, the momentary separation 

 is but the result of some excitement, 

 and unless she is standing still, in a 

 very convenient position, it is^ usually 

 better to allow her to adjust her wings 

 to a natui'al jxisition befoi(^ beginning 

 the operation. Siioiild both wings be 

 caught when endeavcn-ing to take but 

 one. the right one may be instantly I'e- 

 leased by rocK'ing the thumb in the 

 opposite direction. 



Should the ([iieeii lie mo\ ing when 

 wing is caught and the operatur has not 

 become sulliciently expert tn d(» the clip- 

 ping instantly, the hand should move 

 steadilv as does tlie (|ne(>ii. so that she 

 shall not pull nor twist the wing. 



With a little i>ractice the clij)piug is 

 acciiniplisluMi so easily and (luiekly that 

 the (|neeii iiives no a])pai'eiit sign of 

 knowing that she has lieen toiicheii at 

 all: in fact, only the tip of the wing 

 lias been touched, and a1 the same 

 instant it lias been so clcNerly reinoveil 

 that she continues willioiit iiiteirupliuii 

 to look for vacant cells in which ti> de- 

 posit i-^iii^. Nothing could well lie 

 simpler: even a child, if piMperly in- 

 structed, can clip (|neeus with a knife 

 as well as the experienceil bee-keeper. 

 Drones :ind workers alVoid excellent 



