156 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



CHAPTEE VII. 

 TO TRANSFER BEES. 



As you may have purchased your bees in box hives, and 

 so, of course, will desire to transfer them immediately into 

 movable-frame hives, or, ■ as already suggested, you may wish 

 to tratisfer from one movable-frame to another, I will now pro- 

 ceed to describe the process. 



The best time to transfer is early in the season, when there 

 is but little honey in the hives, though it may be done at any 

 time, if sufficient caution is used : still it should never be 

 done except on warm days, when the bees are actively engaged 

 in storing. After the bees are busy at work, approach the 

 old hive, blow a little smoke into the entrance to quiet the 

 bees, then carry the hive off a few feet, and turn it bottom 

 up. Place a box over the hive — it will make no difference 

 whether it fits it close or not, if the bees are so smoked as to 

 be thoroughly alarmed — and with a stick rap on the lower 

 hive for about twenty minutes. The bees will fill with honey 

 and go with the queen into the upper hive and cluster. If 

 towards the last we carefully set the box off once or twice 

 and vigorously shake the hive, and then replace the box, we 

 will hasten the emigration of the bees, and make it more 

 complete. I got this suggestion from Mr. Baldridge. A few 

 young bees will still remain in the old hive, but these will do 

 no harm. Now put the box on the old stand, leaving the edge 

 raised so that the bees which were out may enter, and so all 

 the bees can get air. If other bees do not trouble, as they 

 usually will not if busily gathering, we can proceed in the 

 open air. If they do we must go into so.me room. I have 

 frequently transferred the comb in my kitchen, and often in 

 a barn. Now knock the old hive apart, cut the combs from 

 the sides, and get the combs out of the old hive with just as 

 little breakage as possible. Mr. Baldridge, if transferring in 



