558 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi^. 



haul the bees on some moonshiny night, 

 until you gain more knowledge about 

 bees, then you can move them at any 

 time, which will be explained before we 

 close. 



Get a smoker — there are several good 

 smokers on the market. Also get a bee- 

 veil, but 710 gloves. I do not think I 

 shall teach you to wear gloves to protect 

 your hands from stings, as with a good 

 smoker vou can always keep the bees 

 from stinging your hands much, but I 

 am not going to teach you how to handle 

 bees without getting stiugs, as really 

 that is one part of the business. 



When you get to your bees or box- 

 hive, and you are ready to start home, 

 smoke the bees gently at the hive-en- 

 trance until they have had time to fill 

 themselves with honey, taking care not 

 to use smoke more than they can stand, 

 or they will rush out of the hive rather 

 than go up. When you have smoked 

 them, a small puff every few seconds 

 for three to five minutes, pick up the 

 hive and set it in the buggy or wagon, 

 bottom up, and slowly drive home. You 

 can keep the smoker lighted, and should 

 the bees show any disposition to fly, 

 give a little smoke, but usually, as soon 

 as the wagon starts, they will quiet 

 down. 



If the bees are blacks or hybrids, it 

 may be best to tie a cloth over the 

 mouth of the hive. Further along I will 

 tell you how to know they are blacks or 

 hybrids. 



When you arrive home, place the hive 

 where you wish it to remain after they 

 are transferred. Then in the morning, 

 or when you are ready to transfer, get 

 the new hive in readiness, and two thin 

 boards a little larger than the frames, 

 for transf erring-boards. (For just one 

 hive you can lay some boards down on 

 the ground, but for a number it is best 

 to have a table and a regular transfer- 

 ring-house.) 



With an old hatchet or other tool cut 

 the nails of the box-hive. It is best to 

 lay the hive in such a manner so the 

 combs will be edgewise, and the head of 

 the hive the lowest. Then cut the nails 

 and lift off the top side-board, and reach 

 down and saw off the cross-sticks, if 

 there are any, and I guess you will be 

 sure to find them. Then pull down one 

 other side of the hive — the side next to 

 you. Then reach in and take hold of 

 one cross stick and twist it back and 

 forth a little, when it will slip out. Keep 

 the bees smoked out of your way while 

 you are at work. 



Now with a table or butcher knife, 

 cut out the combs — one at a time ; lift 



the combs by taking hold of the bottom 

 end, as the top end is likely to be tender, 

 and if with any honey it is the heaviest. 

 Now hold each comb over the new hive, 

 and brush the bees off the combs into it, 

 laying the combs down in a pile on a 

 board near by. Proceed uutil all the 

 combs are removed in the same manner. 



Now lay down one of the transferring- 

 boards, lay on this an empty frame, then 

 take up a comb and lay on the frame, 

 and cut one or more pieces until it fits 

 nicely in the frames. Then tack small, 

 thin strips of wood across the comb from 

 the top to the bottom bar of the frame 

 in such a manner that the sticks will 

 hold the comb straight in the frame. 



Now lay the other transferring-board 

 on top of all, and pick all up together, 

 and turn it over, removing the first 

 board, and tacking strips on this side as 

 on the other. Then pick up the frame 

 of comb and hang it in the new hive. 

 Proceed until all combs that contain 

 brood and honey are put in, leaving out 

 the drone-comb, if you choose, unless 

 it has honey in it, if so, better put it in, 

 too, and when the bees use the honey 

 you can remove it, or not, as you like. 



Now place all frames straight in the 

 new hive, put on the cover, shake all 

 the bees off the old box in front of the 

 new hive, when they will soon run in, 

 and all is over, and you have a colony in 

 a frame hive. 



Now you have a good lesson, and are 

 ready for the next. There are many 

 ways to transfer that it would take too 

 much space to tell — I give this plan so 

 that you may not fail, as I have tried 

 almost all plans, and this gives the best 

 satisfaction, especially with beginners, 

 as when bees are slow to fasten their 

 combs to the frames, strings may be 

 gnawed in two before the comb is fast- 

 ened ; and when the combs are heavy 

 with brood and honey, any clasp that 

 does not reach clear across the frame 

 will let the combs bulge. 



After you have become acquainted 

 with the bees, you may devise some plan 

 of your own, that is better, but I give 

 this one so that you will not make a 

 failure. You can remove the clamps or 

 sticks when the combs are fastened to 

 the frame. 



About fruit-bloom is the best time to 

 transfer. Jennie Atchley. 



(To he continued.) 



A Binder for holding a year's num- 

 bers of the Bee Jouknal we mail fy 

 only 50 cents; or clubbed witb the 

 Journal for $1.40. 



