60 HISTORY OF THE HIVE. 



they will fly again, and take possession of the ' rifted 

 roof or the 'hollow'd oak,' and we shall lose them 

 altogether. 



In order to secure them, I get an empty hive ; 

 and I take this, and, placing it under the hanging 

 cluster, shake the bough, when all the bees drop into 

 the hive, which I then immediately turn over, and 

 place upon a board on the ground, leaving a crack for 

 the bees to come out and go in. 



A vast number of bees at once rush out, but very 

 soon, if the queen is in the hive, and the bees like its 

 appearance, they settle down, and take possession of 

 it as their new home, instead of the place they had 

 found and intended to occupy. Thus the swarm is 

 secured, and we carry it gently to its stand. Some- 

 times the swarm settles in a very awkward place, — 

 very high up in a tree, where it can only be reached 

 by means of a ladder ; or sometimes the bees will 

 settle round about the body of the tree itself, from 

 which they can only be swept with a light brush, or 

 gently persuaded to move by a little smoke, or the 

 smell of carbolic acid. A little ingenuity, however, 

 will generally very soon get over such difficulties. 



Our hive being now in position, the bees at once 

 begin, with the greatest energy, to make some comb 

 in their empty, unfurnished house. They do not lose 

 a minute, and they are able thus at once to begin 

 comb-building, because they have been very provi- 

 dent, and have brought with them from the old hive 

 as much honey and material as they could possibly 

 carry. 



Thus even in an hour's time they will have made a 



