83 



THE I'itlOriCAL BEE GUIDE. 



159. Commencing with Driven Bees — In districts where 

 skcppists fiillow tlio barbarous custom of smothering bees at 

 the close of the season, it is generally possible to obtain 



" condemned lots " at 

 a trifling expense, 

 the owners often be- 

 ing willing to accept 

 a shilling or two for 

 the bees which, 

 otherwise, would be 

 destroyed. When two 

 or more condemned 

 lots can be procured 

 and united on combs 

 of honey, or on 

 frames of comb^if 

 in time to be fed up 

 before cold weather 

 sets in (315)— they 

 usually turn out well 

 _ in the following year. 

 All that is necessary 

 is to examine the 

 stocks for signs of 

 disease, and if they 

 prove healthy, to get 

 the bees away from 

 their combs. This 

 leads on to the operation of '' Driving," which, although looked 

 upon by the uninitiated as a wonderful act of legerdemain, is 

 really one of the simplest operations connected with modern 

 bee-keeping. 



DRIVING BEES. 



160. Driving Bees — A fine day, when bees arc flying freely, 

 is to be preferred. The appliances required are — (a) One or 

 two empty skeps, or a Driving box (Fig. 70); (b) Driving 

 irons (Fig. 69); (c) Smoker (Fig. 53, page 67); ((/) Bucket 

 (Fig. 68); and (c) a table or chair. Blow a puff or two of 

 smoke into the skep containing the bees, and give them time 

 to run up into the combs, and to feed (167). Carry the stock 

 to some sheltered corner, placing on its stand a box, or an 

 empty skep to decoy any flying bees. Blow some more smoke 

 into the occupied skep, causing the bees to gorge themselves 

 with honey. Place the bucket on a table or chair ; lift the skep, 

 invert it, and place it, bottom upwards, in the bucket; set a 

 second skep upon it, "like a cockle shell half open," the skeps 



