HITING: UNITING: AND TRANSFERRING BEES. 137 



sary to transfer bees from one hive to another, or from a skep 

 to a modern hive. 



252. Transferring from Hive to Hive Remove the stock 



hive to one side, and set a clean, empty hive on the vacant 

 stand, with its floor board perfectly level, if the frames are to 

 hang parallel with the entrance (147), and with the frame 

 carriers vaselined (174). Subdue the bees with smoke : remove 

 the quilts and sheet : if tliere are supers on, set them on two 

 sticks on the ground, or upon a table : draw back tire dummy, 

 and space out the frames. Take out the frames, one by one, 

 and insert them, in the same order, in the clean hive : set a 

 hiving board in front, and brush or sliake on to it any bees 

 remaining in the old hive : replace the supers (if any) and put 

 on the covering and roof (384). 



253. Transferring from Skep to IVIodern Hive The transfer 



of combs from a skep to the frames of a modern hive, is not 

 often desirable. It is a messy, troublesome job that often 

 leads to cliilled brood (338), and the combs are frequently 

 worked out so irreg'ularly in the frames as to render subse- 

 quent manipulations very difficult. It is generally preferable 

 to allow the bees to transfer themselves by the automatic 

 method to be described below (254). But, wiiere transfer of 

 the combs is decided upon, the following process may be 

 adopted; — Drive all the bees out (160), and set them, in their 

 skep, on their old stand. Take the old skep to a warm kitchen, 

 and with a sharp knife cut it right through between the centre 

 combs. Spread a piece of paper on a board not less than 

 15" X q", and across it lay, at equal distances, two or three 

 narrow tapes, at least 24" long. On the tapes place a comb 

 carefully taken from the skep, arranging the tapes so that they 

 may be passed round the comb and tied at the top. Place a 

 frame over the comb, so that the upper edge of the comb shall 

 meet the top bar of the frame ; and, if the comb be too large 

 for the frame, cut it to fit tightly between the top and bottom 

 bars. If the comb be too shallow to fill the frame, put a piece 

 of lath under it, and draw one or more tapes under this. Tie 

 the tapes around the frame and comb ; raise the board, frame, 

 and comb together; and set the frame in the new hive. 

 Transfer the other combs similarly, excluding drone comb, 

 and being careful to include all the worker brood in the 

 centre frames (213), and to avoid its being chilled. Close 

 up the frames and dummy: put on the covering and 

 roof : set the hive on the old stand : and run in the driven 

 bees as previously described. Give a little feeding, or 

 uncap some of the honey cells. In a couple of days, when 

 the bees will have fastened the combs in the frames, remove 

 the tapes. Sometimes, wire netting, with a small mesh, is used 



