DRIVING, TBANSFEBBING, UNITING. 165 



combs from the skep while the bees are in, but it is a 

 method that should only be resorted to when the hive 

 contains old combs ; or, if the combs are new, the 

 hive should only be bumped in cool weather, when 

 the honey will be stiff and the combs rather brittle. 

 Bumping should certainly never be attempted in warm 

 weather, or when much thin or unsealed honey is in 

 the combs. The bees are first intimidated by smoke, 

 and directly afterwards the skep is turned mouth 

 upwards. It is then taken hold of by the hands in 

 such a manner that the combs run from hand to hand 

 or side to side, and gradually turned away from the 

 operator. If it is then set down or bumped sharply 

 on the lower edge of the bottom of the skep, the shock 

 will be sufficient to break the combs away from the 

 hive sides, and cause them to fall, by theu- own weight, 

 one upon the other on the far side of the hive. The 

 combs are then taken out one at a time by letting 

 them rest on the palm of the hand, and the bees are 

 brushed back into the skep or into an empty hive 

 standing close by. The whole operation should not 

 last more than a minute, and then the hive containing 

 the bees may be returned to its former position till the 

 bees have cleared up the dripping honey. With care 

 small supers may be bumped to empty them of their 

 surplus after they have been cleared of bees. 



Transferring is an operation usually understood to 

 refer to the removal of bees and combs from a straw 

 skep to a movable-comb hive ; but to use a common 

 expression, it is "a game not worth the candle." As a 

 rule the skep will contain few combs of a size to fit 

 into the frame from top to bottom, and if not, pieces 



