Heddon Method of Transferring. 219 
CHAPTER VII. 
To TRANSFER BEES. 
As the prospective bee-keeper may have purchased his 
bees in box-hives, barrels, or hollow logs, and so, of course, 
will desire to transfer them immediately into movable- 
frame hives, or, as already suggested, may wish to transfer 
from one movable-frame to another, I will now proceed 
‘to describe the process. 
Among the many valuable methods which Mr. Heddon 
has given to the bee-keeping public not the least valuable 
is that of transferring. This method should only be used 
at or after the swarming season, the best time to transfer. 
After blowing a little sméke into the hive, sufficient to 
alarm the bees, we set it a little aside, and put in its place 
our new hive full of wired foundation. We now turn the 
old hive, whatever it may be, bottom side up, and place a 
box over it. If the bees are sufficiently smoked, it will 
make no difference even if the box is not close fitting to 
the old hive. We then with a stick or hammer rap on the 
hive for from ten to twenty minutes. The bees will fill 
with honey and go with the queen into the upper box and 
cluster. If towards the last we carefully set the box off 
once or twice, and vigorously shake the hive, and then 
replace the box, we will hasten the emigration of the bees, 
and make it more complete. I got this last suggestion 
from Mr. Baldridge. A few young bees will still remain 
in the old hive, but these will do no harm. 
We next take the box, which contains the queen and 
nearly all the bees, and shake the bees all out in front of 
the hive already placed on the old stand. The bees will 
at once take possession, draw out the foundation in a sur- 
prisingly short time, and will give us a set of combs which 
will surpass in beauty those procured in’ any other way. 
Should the bees be’ unable to gather any honey for some 
days, which at this season is not likely to occur, of course 
‘we must feed them. 
