EXAMINING AND HANDLING BEES.—Chapter IX. 
Along with the smoker, have in hand 
a good hive-tool; or, lacking a hive- 
tool, take a screwdriver or heavy 
pocketknife, and approach the hive 
from the rear or side. Never stand in 
front of the entrance nor get in the 
line of flight of the bees if it can pos- 
sibly be avoided. 
It is taken for granted that the be- 
ginner has selected a warm day for his 
bee operations, and some time between 
the hours of ten and three o’clock. Let 
him be sure never to attempt to open 
a hive on a cool or chilly morning or 
late in the afternoon, never after a 
Fully equipped against stings , with chilly rain, and not directly after a 
eee and hia smoker dlgibad: fas- honey flow has been suddenly inter- 
rupted. At such times bees will sting 
if they ean find anybody or anything to punish. 
Now, with the smoker well lighted, blow three or four puffs of smoke 
into the entrance of the hive to subdue the guards, but be careful not to 
blow in too much smoke. (Smoking at the entrance is not necessary during 
a good honey flow.) If the smoking is overdone, the bees in the hive will 
be stampeded, especially if they are black bees or hybrids, rendering sub- 
sequent handling of them exceedingly difficult. 
Now, take off the outer cover. Do this as gently as possible, for the 
less the bees are jarred or aroused in any way the better for their tempers. 
* Next, take the hive-too] and gently pry the inner cover of the hive up 
an eighth of an inch—not wider. It may be necessary to pry from more 
than one corner in order that the cover may not come up with a jar. | 
Through the gap so made between the inner cover and hive blow in a 
couple of puffs of smoke. Put the in- 
ner cover down for a moment. Next, 
gently lft up the cover again, follow- 
ing the movement with perhaps two or 
three more light puffs of smoke. There 
should be just enough smoke used to 
drive the bees that are on top of the 
frames down between the frames; and 
later in the operation, whenever many 
of the bees’ heads are seen sticking up 
between the frames, ready to take 
wing, a little more smoke will be 
needed. 
The beginner may next proceed to 
lift out frames singly. If they are 
stuck together with propolis, a little 
smoke may be required to follow each 
operation in separating the frames with Before starting to open the hive, blow 
- . one or two light ffs of kK 
a hive-tool, as a sudden jar may anger ee eee ee 
50, 
