State Bee-Keepers' Association. 113 



block in front, so that but one or two bees can pass at a time. This will 

 give them a better opportunity to defend themselves. If this is not sufficient, 

 at night or early in the morning remove the hive to a cool, dark cellar, and 

 ventilate so that the bees will not suffocate, for two or three days, when it 

 may be returned to the stand. When robbing commences the entrance to 

 all the hives should be contracted somewhat, and every means avoided 

 which will tend to incite robbery, such as setting dishes of honey or other 

 sweets where the bees can get at it, for when once they get a taste of it they 

 are hard to control thereafter. 



TRANSFERRING, 



Transferring is changing a colony of bees and all the contents of a hive, 

 from one to another. It should be done in the spring or summer, to be suc- 

 cessful. Transferring may be done at any time of the day if pleasant. The 

 best place to make the transfer is in some shaded locality or clean building. 

 It will be necessary to have a few things in readmess, such as a box the size 

 of the hive and a foot deep, for a driving box, an axe, a saw, a large knife, 

 some goose quills, some twine, a dish of water to wash the honey from your 

 hands, and a few dishes to put the honey and pieces of comb in; also some 

 kind of bench should be arranged to lay the comb on. 



The swarm to be treated should have smoke blown in among them to 

 drive the bees among the comb, and also to subdue them. The hives should 

 be amoved to the place of transfer, placing another as near like it as possible 

 on the old stand, that the returning bees may not join other hives and be 

 killed. Invert the hive and place over it the driving box. Wrap a piece of 

 cloth around where the two join, to prevent escape. Get two round sticks 

 fifteen inches long and one inch in diameter, and commence beating the hive 

 a few minutes, then stop about five minutes, to allow the bees to fill them- 

 selves with honey, then beat again for ten minutes, by which time nearly all 

 will have left clustered in the box. The sheet or cloth is then taken off, 

 spread upon the ground and the driving box placed upon it. the same side up 

 as before and a small stick placed under one side to allow the air to enter. 

 Loosen the comb from two sides of the hive, and with an axe split the sides 

 off, that the comb may be taken out whole. Lay the comb upon the table, 

 and place over it the fi-ame. Cut the comb a trifle larger than the frame so it 

 will fit closely, having it the same side up in the new hive that it was in the 

 old. After the comb is fitted in it may be secured in its place by tying 

 around the frame a piece of cotton twine. The bees will fasten it with wax 

 in a day or two. Now hang the frame in the new hive. Do in the same 

 manner until all good worker comb is secured, leaving out all drone comb. 

 Now put in the bees, the same as hiving a natural swarm. Place upon the 

 old stand, with the entrance contracted, and the ventilator left open during 

 the heat of the day. In about two days the bees will have the comb fastened, 

 when the strings can be cut and drawn out, and the boxes put on. 



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