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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



When I first commenced moving bees, 

 I knew very little of the requirements for 

 success. My first heavy losses were 

 from loss of unsealed brood. To over- 

 come this I found ruafer almost an abso- 

 lute necessity. Give each colony two 

 combs ( about two quarts ) of water placed 

 next the side of the hive, and the loss of 

 brood will be greatly lessened. To fill 

 the combs with water, lay them in the 

 bottom of a tub or barrel ( barrel is best ) , 

 and pour water from a dipper held three 

 feet above. When one side is full turn it 

 over and fill the reverse side. One Lang- 

 stroth frame will hold about a quart of 

 water. 



Ample ventilation is another big item 

 in successful moving of bees. I find a 

 rim three inches deep, the same size as 

 hive, covered with wire-cloth, the proper 

 thing. Put one of these on the bottom 

 and one on the top, and securely fasten. 

 I have tried man}- kinds of fa.stenings, 

 and find common-place laths cut the right 

 length to reach from the bottom screen 

 to the top one, four to each hive, one 

 nailed at each corner, is the simplest and 

 best — the iiiosf seeure method of fastening 

 screens and hive bodies solid. 



In the front end of half of the screens 

 have a 3;^ -inch hole bored. This allows 

 an entrance for the bees, and you can put 

 on the screens several days in advance of 

 the day of moving, and when all is ready 

 to move, a cork or plug fastens the en- 

 trance-hole. 



Frames should be securely fastened in 

 the hives, so they will not slide together 

 or swing. As I use, and have u.sed for 

 years, the Hoffman style of frame, which 

 is, as most are aware, self-spacing, I have 

 no bother about this item. 



In the few instances when I have had 

 occasion to move colonies in loose hang- 

 ing-frame hives, I have fastened them 

 securely by means of two small slats 

 nailed one at each end on top of the end- 

 bars down through and into the ends of 

 the hive, then tip the hive up on its end, 

 and stuff old newspapers in the bee- space 

 between the end of the frames and the 

 end of the hive. This fastened them 

 securely. 



If colonies have more than 20 or 25 

 pounds of honey in their combs, extract 

 it, or enough to leave only this amoimt, 

 for heavy combs of honey are liable to be 

 jarred loose and be broken down. 



The upper story of extracting-conibs 

 is left on, but all surplus arrangements 

 in connection with comb honey should be 

 removed, or the bees " stain " them bad- 

 ly, and render them unsightly for future 

 use. Also, their clustering on the foun- 



dation starters will generally result in 

 their coming down, and being lost, with 

 the need of putting more in to take their 

 place. 



In loading bees in cars ( try always to 

 secure cattle cars ) you need a number of 

 I X 2 inch strips to la}' several on the floor 

 to raise the first tier of hives off from 

 the floor, to allow ventilation ; then 

 lay more on top of the first tier to raise 

 the second tier, and thus all the wa}- 

 throughout the car. 



I find that 250 colonies in two-story 

 hives make a ver\- comfortable carload, 

 though more can be put in if care is used. 

 Be sure the end ventilators of the car are 

 open, and then leave the doors wide open 

 .so that when the train is in motion a 

 strong current of air rushes through and 

 among the bees. If the car has ventila- 

 tors on top, turn the " hood " so as to 

 carry a current, of air down into the car, 

 and thus help to keep things cool. But 

 whenever possible secure open cattle 

 cars, for the.se are the finest self-ventilators 

 oiit. It should be needless to say, yet it 

 is well-worth repeating, to load all colo- 

 nies on cars with combs running length- 

 wise of the car, parallel with the iron 

 rails of the track, never cross-wise. In 

 hauling on wagons load, where practical, 

 so the combs stand crosswise of the wag- 

 on and road. I have used connnon, 

 heavy farm-wagons without .springs, and 

 in all my hauling, of hundreds of colo- 

 nies, from a few hundred yards to 20 

 miles, I have seldom had a comb to break 

 down — certainly not one out of five hun- 

 dred — and I have traveled over some ver^- 

 rough roads; but, as I have .said above, 

 my combs are principally in Hoffman 

 frames, and most have three horizontal 

 wires to the frame. 



When arriving at the destination open 

 the hives as soon as possible, so the bees 

 can have a flight. If there is honey com- 

 ing in the bees will be at work within an 

 hour — in fact, in less time frequently'. 



To one moving around all over the 

 country, a model, systematically arranged 

 apiary is a thing not likely to be kept up 

 long. When we can secure a field or open 

 spot, order can be observed in arrange- 

 ments; still, I have found most of my 

 locations were in the woods, and the 

 hives were scattered around about as the}' 

 would happen to be shot out of a cannon, 

 the hive-entrances facing every point of 

 the compass. 



As soon as possible after getting the 

 hives placed and opened, I set each hive 

 up on a couple of sticks of stovewood; 

 this raises them about four inches from 

 the ground, and is all the hive-stand I 



