Cottager and Smalilholder 41 
XV.—PACKING BEES FOR TRANSIT. 
If a swarm of bees has to travel by road or rail in a skep it 
should be confined by tying over the mouth a piece of very open 
material, such as cheese straining cloth. |The skep must 
travel mouth upwards, or the bees will be suffocated. Make a 
rough framework, and pack it as Fig. 50. ‘the same method is 
Fia. 50. 
adopted with a stocked skep or box hive, with the addition of 
securing the combs by pushing wood skewers through them 
and the hive sides several days before removal, so that the bees 
may attach the combs to them. ; 
It is better to send a swarm in a box, Fig. 51, the top and 
bottom of which is covered with perforated zinc, so that an 
abundance of ventilation is provided. Swarms should always 
be fastened up at night on the day of issue, and sent off the 
‘next morning before they have time to build combs. 
To prepare a stock in a frame hive for travelling, make a 
frame of one inch wood to cover the top of the brood chamber ; 
remove the quilts and screw this frame firmly on to the sides 
of the hive, so that it holds the frames tightly to prevent them 
moving. Cover this by tacking on cheese straining cloth or 
