The Townsend Bee Book 23 
The careless handling of bees causes many stings. There is 
rarely a season but that we have some inexperienced help in our 
yards; and the first advice we give a beginner is that, if there 
should be an accident, such as the dropping of a frame of bees, or 
if in any way the bees get the best of the situation, he should 
retreat until they are quieted down. Then with a smoker well 
going he is to go to the hive and subdue them. In such cases, 
where there has been an accident, and bees killed or combs broken, 
the work becomes more complicated, for many of the bees are 
likely to take wing when smoked, and be in a stinging mood while 
in the air. Under these circumstances we alternate between 
smoking the bees in the air and those in the hive until most of the 
flying ones have settled down; then the work proceeds where it 
left off. It is a little humiliating to run from a colony of bees that 
one is handling; but beginners often have trouble, so that I am 
obliged to tell them to go into the honey-house until the colony 
becomes quiet. 
One of the most serious accidents that ever occurred in our 
yards was when honey was being removed. Our new helper, not 
having had much experience, did not make sure that the frames 
in the lower story were cut loose from those in the super, so when 
he attempted to lift off this super two of the lower frames were 
lifted up with it. Not knowing what was the trouble, the super 
was lowered on the hive and a second attempt made to lift it off 
without giving any more smoke. By this time many bees had 
been killed, and there is nothing that will so enrage bees as this. 
We noticed the predicament and ordered a retreat, otherwise there 
would have been a case of hard stinging. An experienced bee- 
keeper, after lowering the super back on the hive, would have 
smoked the bees well and then have made sure that the two sets of 
frames were entirely separate before a second attempt was made. 
A beekeeper who does not know how to use smoke, or who 
does not take the precaution to work carefully, will always have 
cross bees. I have been in yards where the bees were so cross that 
it was almost impossible to stay there a minute without having 
protection for the head and hands. In other yards of bees of the 
same strain, and under the same circumstances, one could work 
all day with no protection whatever, and still receive no stings. 
The difference is all in the intelligent use of smoke and in the 
careful handling of the bees. 
HOW TO TRANSFER 
I have told of buying four colonies of bees in Metcalfe hives. 
Ordinary Jumbo frames would be similar to those in these Met- 
