202 HANDLING BEES. 



But the greatest care should be taken to repress by smoke, 

 the first manifestations of anger; for, as bees communicate 

 their sensations to each other with almost magic celerity, 

 while a whole colony will quickly cateh the pleased or subdued 

 notes uttered by a few, it will often be roused to fury by the 

 angry note of a single bee. When once they are thoroughly 

 excited, it will be found very difficult to subdue them, and 

 the unfortunate operator, if inexperienced, will often abandon 

 the attempt in despair. 



It cannot be too deeply impressed upon the beginner, that 

 nothing irritates bees more than breathing upon them, or 

 jarring their combs. Every motion should be deliberate, and 

 no attempt whatever made to strike at them. If inclined to 

 be cross, they will often resent even a quick pointing at them 

 with the finger, by darting upon it, and leaving their stings 

 behind. 



397. The first thing to be done, after having opened a 

 hive and removed the cloth (353), is to remove the division- 

 board (3-49) from the inside of the hive— to give room for 

 handling the frames,— with the help of a common wood chisel. 

 Then the frames which have been glued (236) fast to the 

 rabbets by the bees, must be very gently pried loose ; this may 

 be done without any serious jar, and without wounding or 

 enraging a single bee. They may be all loosened for removal 

 in less than a single minute. 



If there is no division-board (349) in the hive, the Apiar- 

 ist should gently push the third frame from either end of 

 the hive, a little nearer to the fourth frame; and then the 

 second as near as he can to the third, to get ample room to 

 lift out the end one, without crushing its comb, or injuring 

 any of the bees. To remove it, he should , take hold of its 

 two shoulders which rest upon the rabbets, and carefully lift 

 it, so as to crush no bees by letting it touch the sides of the 

 hive, or the next frame. If it is desired to remove any par- 

 ticular frame, room must be gained by moving, in the same 

 way, the adjoining ones on each side. As bees usually build 



