172 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



outside frame, set it carefully on end, near the hive,* 

 when the second one may be easily moved towards the 

 vacant space, and lifted out. After examination, put it in 

 the place of the one first removed ; in the same way, 

 examine the third, and put it in place of the second, and 

 so proceed until all have been examined. If the bees are 

 to be removed, they must, of course, be shaken off on a 

 sheet, as previously described. If the comb first taken 

 out Avill fit, it may be put in the place of that last taken 

 out ; if it will not fit, and cannot be made to do so by a 

 little trimming, the frames must be slid on the rabbets 

 back to their former places, when this first comb may be 

 returned to its old position. 



The inexperienced operator, who sees that the bees 

 have built some small pieces of comb between the outside 

 of the frames, and the sides of the hive, or slightly fastened 

 together some parts of their combs, may imagine that 

 the frames cannot be removed at all. Such slight attach- 

 ments, however, offer no practical difficulty to their 

 removal.f The great point to be gained, is to secure a 

 single comb on each frame ; and this is effected by the 

 use of the triangular comb-guides. 



If bees were disposed to fly away from their combs, as 

 soon as they are taken out, instead of adhering to them 

 with such remarkable tenacity, it would be far more diffi- 

 cult to manage them ; but even if their combs, when re- 



* If the frames, as they are removed, are put into an empty hive, they may l-e 

 protected from the cold, and from robber-bees. 



t If sufficient room for storing surplus honey is not given to a strong stock, in 

 its anxiety to amass as much as possible, it will fill the smallest accessible places. 

 If the bees build comb between the tops of the frames, and the under side of the 

 spare honey-board, it can be easily cut off, and used for wax. If this shallow 

 chamber were not used, they would fasten the honey-board to the frames so tightly, 

 that it would be very difficult to remove it ; and every time it was taken off, they 

 would glue it still faster, so that, at last, it would be well nigh impossible, in 

 getting it off, not to start the frames so as to crush the bees between the combs. 



