84 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



located in its permanent position, the frames furnished 

 with full sheets of foundation, or strips if the bees are 

 to be " McEvoy'd," and the front of the hive raised 

 off the bottom board a couple of inches or so, by stones 

 or wood, at each corner. A mat should cover the 

 frames and a sack be laid across the alighting board 

 to prevent the bees falling to the ground when dumped 

 down near the entrance. A box about the same size 

 as the one the bees are in should be ready and the 

 smoker going. 



Blow a few puffs of dense smoke into the box, and put 

 on a bee veil. In about two minutes give the bees some 

 more smoke, then turn the box upside down, and put the 

 mouth of the empty box over the bees, and drum away 

 with two sticks on the lower box, on the sides running 

 nearest parallel with the combs. To prevent the top 

 box from shifting a long towel or sheet of some kind 

 can be tied around the junction of the two boxes. In a 

 short time the bees will begin to ascend, but the 

 drumming may have to be kept up for from fifteen to 

 twenty minutes before all the bees are in the top box. 

 Set the one the bees are in down near the permanent 

 hive, and carefully look among the old combs to see 

 whether the queen is still there. As a rule she is among 

 the very first to leave, but occasionally she is among the 

 verv last. 



The bees clustered in the box are practically in the 

 same condition as a swarm, and may now be dumped 

 down on the sack in front of the new hive, close to the 

 entrance; after the bees are all in, lower the hive on to 

 the bottom board, and allow from six to eight inches 

 of entrance space. The box of old combs should be 

 taken away clear of all bees and be dealt with at once. 

 The honey can be made use of, and the brood combs 

 be burned with the box or be melted into wax. Should 

 the weather after transferring be against the bees 

 gathering nectar, feed them with sugar syrup (see Chap- 

 ter XIII.) Any time from lo a.m. till 3 p.m. is the best 

 for transferring. 



