between the first aud setoiul, and the other between 

 the fourth and fifth frames, then make a cross cut in the quilt 

 from the end of one sht to the end of the other, and turn 

 the flap thus made under the quilt. Place tlie skep or box 

 containing the stock to be transferred over the hole m the 

 quilt, put on the lift, and pack well all round, so as to maintain 

 warmth and to prevent bees getting out under the edges of the 

 fixed comb hive, and close the doors to IJ inches apart. Leave 

 the feeder in position as before, and attend to feeding, as it is 

 necessary to stimulate breeding (106). About ten to fourteen 

 days after transferring, turn up the quilt at the front corners 

 to ascertain if the bees have descended to the bar-frames ; if 

 they have, and if breeding appears to have commenced below, 

 remove the skep, and examine the frames for eggs or larvae ; 

 if breeding has commenced, ascertain if the queen is on the 

 frames ; if she is not, it will be necessary to drive the skep (82) 

 to find her, after which secure the quilt in its former position, 

 place a sheet of queen excluder over it, and return the skep, 

 packing it securely round the edges as before : then hive the 

 driven bees with the queen at the entrance (76). In from seven 

 to fourteen days after confining the queen to the bar-frames, if 

 the conditions have been favourable for breeding, weather fine, 

 and honey coming in, it will be advisable to add a frame of foun- 

 dation , see ' 'Brood-spreading" (90) , On the twenty-second day 

 after placing on the excluder, all worker brood will be hatched 

 out in the skep, which may then be removed ; the bees should 

 be driven from it and hived in the bar-frame hive, after which 

 treat the stock in the ordinary way ; or the skep may be left in 

 position, in order that the bees may fill the empty combs with 

 honey ; the excluder zinc being of course left on. 



The " Alley " method of transferring has been worked with 



very satisfactory results, and is by many 



87. Transferring preferred to the method of transferring 



Bees from a Fixed already described (86); by the "Alley" 



Comb Hive to a Bar- method the queen is at once placed in the 



frame Hive on the body-box, and there confined. If the bee- 



" Alley" Method, keeper has any doubt as to the stock being 



in proper condition for transferring, it 



would be best to transfer on the system already described (86). 



The proper time to transfer on the " Alley " method is, just 



before the stock may be expected to swarm naturally (92), that 



is to say, when there is a good honey flow, when the stock is 



strong in bees and brood, and when the weather is warm enough 



to permit of the operation being carried out without chilling 



the brood in the old hive by the removal of most of the bees. 



A simple way of ascertaining the strength of a stock in a fixed 



comb hive is, to tilt the front of the hive upwards early in the 



morning ; if the stock is strong, the stand will be covered with 



bees. It is a correct but not an essential indication that a stock 



is crowded and in fit condition for transfer, if the bees clua'cer 



outside the hive. As a rule, stocks should not be transferred on 



c2 



