DEIVING AND SHAKING BEES. 181 



enough to empty the hive of every bee. In cold weather, 

 when hees are sitting fast among their combs, they cannot 

 be shaken out in this manner without first feeding them 

 as described above. A few minutes after having been 

 fed they will be found moving lightly about over their 

 combs, when they may be readily and easily shaken out 

 in less than half a minute. This expert " express " mode 

 of driving bees from light hives is very useful to us, for 

 we have many to drive and little time to do it. But the 

 thing is so simple and easily done, that the biggest novice 

 in the world in bee-management coidd, on seeing it once 

 done, do it welL When we throw a Httle water out of 

 a glass we fiist put them in motion. At a certain point 

 we stop the glass from going farther, but the water goes 

 forward. And when we attempt to kick the doorstep to 

 shake the snow from oui boots, the foot is put in rapid 

 motion, which is suddenly stopped by the step, but the 

 snow goes forward as far as it can. Thus water is thrown 

 or cast out of a glass, and snow cast from the boot ; and 

 so bees, when taken unawares, are cast out of a hive by 

 the law of motion. "We often perform this operation by 

 candle-Hght. By feeding the bees about sunset and taking 

 them into a room, or bam, or hothouse, in about half an 

 hour afterwards they can be readily shaken out on the 

 floor of the room, and a hive placed over them; and 

 sometimes there is not a bee lost in doing it. Of course 

 the hive containing the bees should be placed on its 

 stand before they begin to fly next morning. 



Hives beyond 30 lb. are not so easily handled. A man 

 of ordinary strength is unable to put them in motion 

 rapid enough to make the bees loose their feet-hold and 

 go forward. 



"We have successfully used contrivances for shaking 

 bees from heavy hives ; but we consider the reader will 



