180 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



owa comforta'ble habitations. But the work has to be 

 done, and the bee-keeper's ingenuity will not forsake him 

 in front of a job of this kind. About ten minutes before 

 he commences to drive the bees from a hive ia cold 

 weather, he will remember to turn it up and pour about 

 half a pound of sugar-and-water amongst the bees, and 

 then place it on the board. Every bee gets a feed. The 

 heat of the hive speedily rises twenty or thirty degrees, 

 and by the end of ten minutes the mirth and noise of the 

 hive will be great. If the empty hive has been outdoors, 

 or standing in a cold place, it should be held before a fire 

 for a minute or two before it is placed on the other. The 

 bees are now easily driven up : they run as fast and furious 

 under such treatment as they do in the warm days of 

 July or August. It is a hard-fought battle that kills 

 every soldier, and it is an unusually successful achieve- 

 ment when all the bees are driven from the bottom hive. 

 Sometimes a few dozens will refuse to leave the hive. 

 The brimstone-rag will soon clean them out, and we do 

 not hesitate a moment about applying it to destroy a few 

 stragglers. 



When hives are less than 30 lb. each, we take their 

 bees from them by a speedier mode than driving : we 

 shake them out in less than lialf a minute. "When this 

 is done no smoke is used : the bees are taken unawares. 

 The hive to receive the bees is placed on its crown ; the 

 other is gently raised off its board, but not turned up. 

 The bee-master now places his fingers inside the hive and 

 his thumbs outside — the hive being fairly balanced on 

 his hands — and his legs pretty well astride the empty 

 hive. He now acts as if he were going to dash the one 

 he holds against the other, but they never touch ; the 

 bees, however, go forward and fall into the empty hive. 

 A few violent thrusts or shakes, well performed, is often 



