132 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Mar, 1 



choice stock, we shall reap big returns the 

 ensuing seasons. 

 Hebron, Ind. 



SIMMINS' METHOD OF SHIFTING THE FLY- 

 ING BEES. 



The "Turn-over" Method, and Double Hanging- 

 chamber Hive. 



BY SAMUEL SIMMINS. 



In my 1893 edition (p. 242) of "A Modern 

 Bee-farm" I offered my readers a novel 

 plan of working two colonies (or even one 

 colony when strong early, and divided into 

 two). The new plan was that of causing 

 the second hive to supply the supered lot 

 with a constant addition of fresh bees by 

 moving the former to the back, and ulti- 

 mately to the opposite side from that where 

 it started, so the bulk of the working bees 

 was always in the supered hive. 



The rear lot is never clogged with honey, 

 and, as a consequence, is crowded with brood 

 and young bees. Of course this is during 



DOUBLE HIVE WITH FOUR ENTRANCES. 



These troubles were overcome by using a 

 double hive first made in 1894 on my hang- 

 ing-chamber principle; and this was ar- 

 ranged with four entrances — two to each 

 stock — one back and front.* 



Henceforward if I wanted to unite, it was 

 only a question of closing one of the two en- 

 trances facing the same way, when, without 

 knowing the difference, all the flying bees 

 would join the other lot with the wide-open 

 entrance. Although at first the bees fly to 

 the site of their own entrance, they simply 

 draw along to the open side, passing behind 

 the central division of the porch. 



ALL MATURE WORKERS JOIN THE SU- 

 PERED LOT. 



The back entrance of the closed lot is 

 opened after the turn-over, but at first only 

 half an inch or so; but while the remaining 

 adult bees find their way out from there 

 they all return to their old entrance site, 

 and, of course, join the strong supered lot — 

 never, on any occasion, troubling to find 

 their old stock by the new back way. With 

 entrances at each end I should not feel so 

 safe on that point. 



SIMMrNS' DOUBLE HtVE FOR SHEPTINa THE FLYING BEES FROM ONE ENTRANCE TO 



ANOTHER. 



the active season, and the process of mov- 

 ing the breeding stock is that of passing it 

 back and forth as its maturing bees are ap- 

 propriated. 



The plan was a great aid to the prevention 

 of swarming; but it was not until 1908 that 

 the idea seemed to catch on in America, 

 and reference to Gleanings and other jour- 

 nals of about the year 1905 will show that 

 various bee-keepers put forth a similar idea. 



But there are several objections to using 

 separate hives. There is the lifting and 

 changing; but also at times the bees have a 

 habit of persistently finding their own en- 

 trance and mother queen, do what one will. 

 I have known bees in hot weather to find 

 their old hive entrance twenty yards away 

 from its original site, on the other side of a 

 large shed. 



Thus the stock doing all the storing is of 

 unusual strength, while the colony in the 

 other side produces an unusual supply of 

 young bees. In some cases, following su- 

 pers are presently placed on this all-brood 

 lot and the bees "turned back," when the 

 supers on the former doubled lot are ready 

 for removal, and then such completed combs 

 or supers may be removed already denuded 

 of bees. 



The " turn-over " is made about 10 to 11 

 A.M. on a warm day while the bees are gath- 

 ering freely. Both lots are first smoked in the 

 usual way when no fighting occurs and the 

 queen is not disturbed by the new comers. 



*The "turn-over " method as applied to this dou- 

 ble hive is given on page 216, 1904 edition " Modern 

 Bee-farm." 



