684 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 



conducted by 

 Greenville. Texas. 



Transferring Bees from a Gum-Tree. 



As per promise on page 332, I will 

 now report on transferring a colony of 

 black bees from a hollow gum-tree, in a 

 swamp, to two hives. 



The tree stood ten feet out in the 

 water, and the bees had an entrance 12 

 feet up the tree. Procuring a ladder, I 

 surveyed the tree, and found it a mere 

 shell, much of the wood only an inch 

 thick. 



After building a platform in the water 

 to work on, I smoked the bees from the 

 bottom, then proceeded to saw down 

 the old gum-tree, having secured a rope 

 to the top, and drawing it tight in the 

 direction it was to fall. The bees were 

 all in by this time, and down came the 

 tree. (I had wrapped a tent around the 

 entrance to keep the bees in.) In fall- 

 ing it struck the bank just right, six 

 inches above the water. 



Unwrapping the entrance more smoke 

 was blown in. With a saw I soon cut 

 half way through the log, in sections of 

 about two feet, finding comb, honey and 

 bees for 11 feet in the cavity. 



Now began the fun. Splitting one 

 section open, I found a mass of bees, 

 honey, and combs, eight combs thick, 

 so cutting a palmetto leaf for a fan, not 

 having any bee-smoker, I fanned smoke 

 in, and drove the bees from my work, 

 and commenced removing combs, honey 

 and brood, keeping them separate. 



The first day we succeeded in felling 

 the tree, removing combs and honey for 

 eight feet, and had the bees all driven 

 before us. Then packing some of the 

 southern gray moss in the cavity, we 

 wrapped the tent all around the bees 

 and tree, and adjourned for the night. 



The next morning it rained a torrent, 

 until noon, deluging every thing, and 

 raising the water up to the tree. It 

 soon cleared away, and by sundown the 



bees were all driven out on the log, un- 

 der the tent, honey and combs all re- 

 moved, four frames filled with brood- 

 comb, nicely clamped in, with round 

 sticks tied at the top and bottom. 



Now placing the hive close by the 

 bees, and brushing a few on the alight- 

 ing-board, I sat down and watched de- 

 velopments. It was just fun — a steady 

 stream of bees soon headed for the hive, 

 and poured in, apparently glad to find a 

 home. The hive would not hold them, 

 and not having another hive, I got one 

 of Armour's canned-beef boxes, put in 

 cross-bars, and clamped a few pieces of 

 brood-comb to them, brushed a few 

 quarts of bees from hive No. 1 on the 

 ground, picked up hive No. 1, carried It 

 away a hundred yards, and set the box 

 where the hive had stood, and brushed 

 some bees on the board in front. They 

 soon ran in, and thus colony No. 2 was 

 started, and left there to catch those 

 that would naturally return from hive 

 No. 1. 



Now p'adding the top of my head, I 

 picked up colony No. 1, and started 

 home a half mile away, and with my 

 new pets buzzing loudly at their new 

 condition, balanced on my head, we soon 

 reached home, and deposited them care- 

 fully on the verandah under my bed- 

 room window. 



The next morning I found they had 

 cleaned house, and gone to work as 

 natural as though nothing had hap- 

 pened. In four days I opened the hive, 

 and was surprised to find all the brood- 

 combs well built into the frames, and 

 four frames of guide-comb partially 

 drawn out, and lots of orange-blossom 

 honey placed therein. Cutting the strings 

 to the clamps, on top only, lifting the 

 frames with the left hand, I peeled off 

 the clamps, replaced the frames, ad- 

 justed all, leveled the hive, and not a 

 cross bee appeared. My colony, in five 

 days, was as earnestly at work, and as 

 much at home, as any bees in Florida. 



Now as to colony No. 2, that was 

 formed from remnants : On the fourth 

 day I visited them, and found them as 

 earnestly at work as No. 1, but not so 

 many bees. Removing the cover, I 

 found six queen-cells started, and all 

 happy. In ten days more I will give 

 them a comb of brood from No. 1, and 

 then have two good colonies from the 

 old gum-tree, a big dish-pan full of 

 honey, and several pounds of wax for my 

 13^ days' work — not a bad investment. 



Now to any one trying the experiment, 

 as I have done, it is necessary to work 

 systematically, and have great patience 

 or you will give up in disgust, but it 



