J32 



THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



handle a turn, closing 

 the mouth of the bag so 

 that no bees can escape, 

 and carry them to the 

 hive. If the branch must 

 be cut off and removed, 

 with any risk of shaking 

 off the swarm in the 

 process, bore two holes 

 at opposite sides of the 

 skep mouth and pass 

 two strong cords through 

 the holes : get the skep 

 under the cluster and tie 

 it to the branch : pass a 

 sack up, covering the 

 skep and swarm, and tie 

 it also to the branch : 

 then, no matter what 

 jarring or shaking may 

 ensue, the bees will be 

 secure. Doctor Smyth's 

 Swarm Catcher (fig. 84) 

 is a device for securing 

 swarms when they locate 

 themselves in the 

 branches of tall trees, 

 SWAEM IN A HIGH TREE. or in o'^er awkward 



places. It consists 01 



an arched piece of i" iron rod on a long d 



pole. The ends of the arch are connected 



by a bar passing through holes at its 



extremities, and locked, when necessary, 



by a thumb screw. The bar carries two 



laths, fixed so as to form carriers for four 



or six frames. A thin lath thrust under 



the bar and pressing on the tops of the 



frames, holds them so tightly that, while 



the frames swing freely on the bar, they are 



fixed to one another. Thus an attractive 



temporary home may be brought within 



reach of a clustering swarm, and in it, 



without the inconvenience of climbing and 



branch cutting, the bees may be secured 



and conveyed to a permanent residence. 

 235. Swarms in Awkward Places — 



Should it be impossible to work any of 



the above plans : if the swarm has entered THE SMYth swaeu 



Fig. 84. 



