SOUTHETIN BEE CULTURE 41 



strike the hives in the afternoon the hives will shade the entrances, and 

 the sun will shine more directly on the back of the hives than the sSdes, and 

 there will be less danger of the comb melting down. Hives should be 

 arranged on their stands so that they will be ^ or ^ inch higher at the back 

 than the front, so that water will drain out and not stand puddled on the 

 bottoms, which would soon cause them to rot, and at the same time be very 

 detrimental to the bees. But the hives should stand level on the stands the 

 other way, or the bees will not build the comb str.aight in their frames. 



MOVING BEES. 



Moving bees is dangerous work, and the safest time to do so is at 

 night, when they can not see to fly and sting; but they can be moved at 

 any time if they are properly prepared. 



If bees are to be moved only a short distance, move them about one 

 f©ot each day until they are located. By moving them this way no field-bees 

 are lost; for after bees once mark their location they will return to it; and 

 if their hive has been moved they are lost and will wander around and 

 perish, or try to get in some bther hive, and be killed; but when it has 

 been moved only a few inches they will find it and not be lost. If the 

 hives are moved at night only a few steps the bees are not aware that 

 they have been moved, and next morning they will come out and go to the 

 field just as they have been doing; and, of course, they will return to the 

 old location and be lost. But bees can be moved successfully a short dis- 

 tance during very cold weather when they have been confined in their 

 hives for several days; but a handful of grass or weeds should be placed 

 over the entrance so that the bees would have to crawl out through 

 it and thus cause them to mark their new location, • and, of course, if 

 this is done during the busy season it will be a hindrance to them, and 

 many would be lost too ; and we must not forget that hive bees are valuable, 

 especially in the busy season. 



If it is desired to move bees some distance during winter, all that 

 is necessary to assure safety to bees and stock is to fasten the covers and 

 bottoms on the hives well and see that there are no openings where the 

 bees can escape, then tack a strip of gauze wire over the entrance so no 

 bees can escape, but at the same time enable them to get air. As soon as 

 the bees discover that they are shut up they will all begin to try to 

 effect an escape; and by this effort they will shut the circulation of the air 

 out of the hive, and soon the temperature will be so high in it that the 

 comb melts and the bees are drowned and smothered to death, and so the 

 bees, honey, and comb will be lost. If bees are to be moved during 

 warm weather, prepare them in the same manner, but cover the entire top 

 of ^ the hives wnth gauze wire, so that they can have plenty of fresh air, 



