CHAPTER XVI 



DRIVING BEES 



All apiarists should be able to drive" bees, and 

 especially those who reside in country districts 

 where skeps are much in use 1 . Skeppists are 

 often only too willing to allow their skeps to be 

 driven at the end of the honey flow, and the acqui- 

 sition of these bees supplies the modern bee- 

 keeper with an opportunity of strengthening his 

 weak stocks at a nominal cost. I do not advise 

 the buying of driven bees, but where they can be 

 procured for the trouble of driving, or for a 

 small consideration, they are most useful, 



There are two methods of driving, open and 

 close, and it is with the former that we have to 

 deal. The latter method is not largely used now, 

 but I may say that it consists of inverting a full 

 skep upon its crown and turning down upon jf 

 another empty skep of the same size. The junc- 

 tion is secured with a cloth, and by drumming 

 upon the bottom skep the bees may be caused to 

 ascend into the one placed to receive them. There 

 is too much working in the dark with this method, 

 however, which with open driving does not exist. 

 Practically all that is required for open driving 



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