222 Transferring Described. 
with small tacks. Some bee-keepers use U-shaped pieces 
of wire or tin to hold the comb in the frame. 
Captain Hetherington has invented and practices a very 
neat method of fastening comb into frames. In construct-- 
ing his frames, he bores small holes through the top, side 
and bottom-bars of his frames, about two inches apart; 
these holes are just large enough to permit the passage of 
the long spines of the hawthorn. Now, in transferring 
comb, he has but to stick these thorns through into the 
comb to hold it securely. He can also use all the pieces, 
and still make a neat and secure frame of comb. He finds 
this arrangement convenient, too, in strengthening insecure 
combs. In answer to my inquiry, this gentleman said it 
paid well to bore such holes in all his frames, which are 
eleven by sixteen inches, inside measure. I discarded such 
frames because of the liability of the comb to fall out. 
Having fastened all the nice worker comb into the frames 
—of course all other comb will be melted into wax—we 
place all the frames containing brood together in the center 
of our new hive, especially if the colony is weak, or the 
weather cool, and confine the space by use of the division 
board, adding the other frames as the bees may need them. 
We now place our new hive on the stand, opening the 
entrance wide, so that the bees can enter anywhere along 
the alighting board. We then shake all the bees from the 
box, and any young bees that may have clustered on any 
part of the old hive, or on the floor or ground, where we 
transferred the comb, immediately in front of the hive. 
They will enter at once and soon be at work, all the busier 
for having passed “from the old house into the new.” In 
two or three days remove the wires, or strings and sticks, 
when we shall find the combs all fastened and smoothed 
off, and the bees as busily engaged as though their present 
home had always been the seat of their labors. 
In practicing this method, many proceed at once to trans- 
fer without drumming out the bees. In this case the bees 
should be well smoked, should be driven, by use of the 
smoker, away from the side of the old hive where the 
combs are being cut loose, and may be brushed direct from 
the old combs into the new hive. This method will only be 
