GETTING THE BEES.—Chapter V. 
large enough to make it a snug fit. Now bring the ends of the strings to- 
gether and tie them around the frame and fitted comb. The several strands 
of string should come opposite the small pieces of comb and hold them all 
in place. No bulging of the comb must be allowed; for, unless sufficient 
space is left, between the combs when placed in the hive, the bees will attach 
the combs to each other so that it will be impossible to remove them from 
the hive. All patches of drone comb should be rejected and melted into 
wax, along with other undesirable comb. An excess of drones is not only 
an added expense to the colony, but also an inducement to'swarm. The 
frames containing the pieced combs may now be put into the new hive; 
and in a few days, when the bees have fastened the pieces to the frame 
and connected them with each other, the bees will gnaw the string to pieces. 
If these combs are not straight and regular, they should be removed from 
the hive and melted the next spring and replaced with frames containing 
full sheets of foundation if they are empty at that time. No honey or 
seraps of comb should be left exposed, but all such should be dumped into 
a closed box to keep them away from robber bees. At the close of this work 
of transferring, everything should be. washed up clean to prevent the start- 
ing of robbing by other bees. If all worthless comb of the old box hive is 
rejected, it is likely there will be unfilled space in the new hive. This 
should be filled either with good combs from other hives or with frames of 
foundation placed at the sides of the brood, and the bees will stay to- 
gether on the brood and keep it warm. Usually the best time to do this 
work of transferring from the old box hives to new hives is in the spring 
during fruit bloom when the combs are light and without much honey, and 
when the bees will be working on the bloom and so not likely to start rob- 
bing. Transferring can be done, however, at any time when there is a 
honey flow and should not be undertaken at a time when honey is not com- 
ing in; and, if it has to be undertaken during or following the main honey 
harvest, the combs will be very heavy and disagreeable to handle. 
A very easy method of transferring in warm weather (which may be 
used when the new hive can be made to fit on top of the old hive) is to lay 
the old hive on its side, if this can be done and its combs left perpendicular. 
Then tear off the upper side of the old hive and place the new hive without 
its floor on top of it. Any cracks between the two hives should be closed. 
The new hive should be filled with frames containing full sheets of founda- 
tion, and, if possible, one or more old brood-combs darkened with age to 
tempt the queen to enter the new hive, Even if the old brood-combs are not 
available and only the frames of foundation can be had, this method will suc- 
ceed when there is a good honey flow. The bees will not enter and occupy 
the new hive when arranged in this way, unless the colony is strong and is 
able to gather sufficient honey to cause them to need more room. Accordingly, 
the beginner should not use this easy method of transferring on weak colo- 
nies or when the bees are not gathering more honey than they consume. The 
bees ordinarily will soon begin occupying the upper story. As soon as the 
queen is found laying above as she is expected to do, a queen-excluder is in- 
serted between the two stories. Twenty-one days after the queen has gone 
into the upper story the brood below will have all emerged except the drone- 
brood, and the old hive may be removed. If the combs of the old hive con- 
tain honey, and no traces of disease, the honey can be fed to the bees 
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