TKANSFERRING BEES. 293 



Upon the sheet ; a wing or anything soft, will often be of 

 service in brushing off the bees. Kemember that they 

 must not be hurt. If the weather is so pleasant that many 

 bees from other hives, are on the wing, great care must be 

 taken to prevent them from robbing. As fast therefore as 

 the bees are shaken from the combs, these should be put 

 into an empty hive or box, and covered with a cloth, or 

 set in some place where they will not be disturbed. As 

 soon as all the combs have been removed, the Apiarian 

 should proceed to select and arrange them for his new hive. 

 If the transfer is made late in the season, care must be ta- 

 ken, of course, to give the bees combs containing a generous 

 allowance of honey for their winter supplies ; together with 

 such combs as have brood, or are best fitted for the rearing 

 of workers. All coarse combs except such as contain the 

 honey which they need, should be rejected. Lay a frame 

 upon a piece of comb, and mark it so as to be able to cut 

 it a trifle larger, so that it will just crowd into the frame, to 

 remain in its place until the bees have time to attach it. If 

 the size of the combs is such, that some of them cannot be 

 cut so as to fit, "then cut them to the best advantage, and 

 after putting them into the frames, wind some thread around 

 the upper and lower slats of the frame, so as to hold the 

 combs in their place, until the bees can fasten them. If 

 however, any of the combs which do not fit, have no 

 honey in them, they may be fa tened very easily, by dip- 

 ping their upper edges into melted rosin. When the requi- 

 site number of combs are put into the frames, they should 

 be placed in the new hive, and slightly fastened on the 

 rabbets with a mere touch of paste, so as to hold them firm- 

 ly in their places ; this will be the more necessary if the 

 transfer is made so late in the season that the bees cannot 

 obtain the propolis necessary to fasten them, themselves. 

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