CHAPTER XVI. 



TRANSFERRING BEES. 



IS some of my readers may have bees in ordi- 

 nary hives, which they would like to transfer 

 ^^^ to the Controllable Hive, I will devote a chap- 

 ter to Transferring. 



If you have bees in a box or patent hive, or any 

 of the thousand and one bee hive humbugs, which 

 are of little or no profit, and cause you much trouble 

 and perplexity in swarming time, and frequent and 

 heavy losses in winter, you can move them into 

 Controllable Hives — comb, honey and bees together 

 and manage them on the plan here recommended, 

 and they will winter well, come out strong and 

 healthy in the spring, and cause comparatively no 

 trouble in swarming time, yielding you a good 

 profit yearly. 



The best time to transfer is as early in spring as 

 the weather becomes warm enough to keep the bees 

 active every day, which in the New England States, 

 is usually in April. It is a good time to transfer 

 about twenty-four days after the first swarm issues 

 from a stock, as at that time there is but little 

 brood, and usually but few bees. October is a very 

 good time to transfer, but not as good as either of 

 the times before mentioned. Great care is required 



