SWARMING.—Chapter XI, 
carried to the hive en- 
trance. 
If the bees chance to 
cluster in a place where 
they can not be shaken 
down, as on a large 
branch or at the crotch 
of a tree or on a fence 
post. or on any other un- 
shakable place, it will 
then be found necessary 
to brush them off into the 
box or basket with a bee- 
brush or to dip them up 
with a tin dipper or even 
with the gloved hands. 
Bees that have to be cap- 
tured in this way should 
be carried to the hive en- 
trance just as soon after 
they have been got into 
the basket or box as pos- 
sible. They may need a 
little smoking, too. 
If a swarm of bees is 
to be captured at some 
considerable distance Shaking the swarm into a basket. 
from the apiary of the 
beginner and then has to be carried there, such a swarm should be shaken 
into a loose-woven bag—a cleaned phosphate sack will do—and then by 
tying or holding tight the mouth of the bag the bees can be carried for a 
long distance to the hive awaiting them as their new home. 
Mechanical Contrivances Sometimes Used. 
To prevent an unclipped queen from leaving the hive with an issuing 
swarm, two contrivances are sometimes used. These are the queen and 
drone trap, and the wire entrance-guard. Hither of these placed over the 
hive entrance allows the passage of worker bees but not of queens or 
drones. The queen and drone trap catches and retains the queen in an 
upper compartment, and when the swarm returns to the new hive which 
is placed on the old stand, the trap having been transferred to the new 
hive, the slide may be drawn releasing the queen so that she may enter 
the new hive with the returning swarms. Although the use of this con- 
trivance makes it unnecessary to clip the queen’s wings, it has one great 
objection—it is some inconvenience to the bees when entering and leaving 
the hive. It should be left on the hive just as little as possible. Its use is 
not generally recommended by experienced beekeepers, but the beginner 
who does not wish to clip his queen’s wings will find this device a great 
convenience. (See illustration on page 70.) 
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