AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 45 



MOVING BEES. 



The moving of established colonies in hives furnished 

 with the Hoffman self-spacing frames, so much in use 

 now, is a very easy matter compared with what it was 

 formerly with the loose-hanging frames ; the frames 

 can now be made secure in a moment by wedging them 

 off from one side of the hive. The chief consideration 

 after that is to obtain good ventilation. 



When the bees are to be confined for two or three 

 days or more, the best plan is to make temporary tops 

 and bottoms for the hives out of 4 by i in. battens, just 

 the outside dimensions of the hives when nailed together. 

 The inner part between the battens to be covered 

 with the ordinary queen cage wire cloth. The hive is 

 set on one board, and another is placed on top, four 

 3 by f inch battens are screwed on to the boards con- 

 necting the upper with the lower one. This makes all 

 secure and gives ample ventilation through both, when 

 properly constructed. 



Some provision must be made to give the bees water, 

 and the best I know is to fasten a small sponge on the 

 wire cloth on the upper board, and to keep it damp. The 

 winter months, when no breeding is going on, is the 

 best time to move bees. Brood when confined more 

 than twenty-four hours is likely to die and become 

 putrid, especially in warm weather. When travelling 

 by train the hives should be placed with their frames 

 parallel with the train, but when by waggon the frames 

 should be across the vehicle. 



OUT-APIARIES. 



When a person of some experience decides to become 

 a specialist in bee-keeping, and to give his whole atten- 

 tion to bee-farming, he must sooner or later establish 

 out-apiaries, that is apiaries apart, and at some distance 

 away from, his first or " home " apiary. The number 

 of colonies that can be profitably run in any one apiary 

 depends of course, on the amount of bee forage avail- 

 able, and whether the locality within bee flight is 

 occupied by other bee-keepers or not. If fairlv free in 

 this respect, and the pasturage good, from 100 to 150 



