MANIPULATING. 



103 



food in the hive. With the best intentions possible, bees can- 

 not gorge themselves with smoke. If, therefore, there be no 

 food in the hive upon which they can feed liberally, warm 

 syrup may be given. The carbolic cloth can be drawn over the 

 frames as described above, and in a few seconds the syrup 

 may be lightly sprinkled between the combs, the smoker being 

 applied subsequently. 



182. Examining the Combs: Finding the Queen Having 



subdued the bees, as described, you may proceed to examine 

 the combs. You must remember that the space between the 

 frame ends and the hive is not m.ore than g", perhaps only i", 

 perhaps less ; and that if you draw out a frame carelessly you 

 run the risk of crushing bees, and even of killing the queen, 

 if she happens to be on one of the ends of the frame (83). Draw 

 back the dummy (94) as far as it will go. Draw back the 

 frames together from the centre frame, i.e. — if there are nine 

 frames in the hive draw back Nos. i to 4 together, and very 



Photo from Ufel 



SUBDUED BEES. 



Fig. n. Ihij J. G. Diggea 



WITH CAPPED WORKER AND DRONE BROOD. 



slowly, so that the bees on the ends may have time to get out 

 of the way of danger. If you have, up to this, kept the carbolic 

 cloth on the frames, and have kept daylight out of the hive, 

 the queen will probably be found on the centre frame ; but if 

 you have flooded the brood-nest with light, she will have made 

 off to the front or the back frames. Take the centre frame 



