Securing Combs in Frames. 



hive with a hammer till the fastenings are broken loose, 

 when he lifts the hive, and the combs are all free and in 

 convenient shape for rapid work. 



We now need a barrel, set on end, on which we place a 

 board fifteen to twenty inches square, covered with sev- 

 eral thicknesses of cloth. Some apiarists think the cloth 

 useless, but it serves, I think, to prevent injury to comb, 

 brood or honey. We now place a comb on this cloth, 

 and set a frame on the comb, and cut out a piece of 

 the comb the size of the inside of the frame, taking 

 pains to save all the worker brood. Now crowd the frame 

 over the comb, so that the latter will be in the same posi- 

 tion that it was when in the old hive; that is, so the honey 

 will be above — the position is not very important — then 

 fasten the comb in the frame, by winding about all one or 

 two small wires, or pieces of wrapping twine. To raise 



Fig. 87. 



Fig. 87. 





Transferring Clasp, 



Transferred Comb, 



the frame and comb before fastening, raise the board 

 beneath till the frame is vertical. Set this frame in the 

 new hive, and proceed with the others in the same way 

 till we have all the worker comb — that with small cells — 

 fastened in. To secure the pieces, which we shall find 

 abundant at the end, take thin pieces of wood, one-half 

 inch wide and a trifle longer than the frame is deep, place 

 these in pairs either side the comb, extending up and 

 down, and enough to hold the pieces secure till the bees 

 shall fasten them (Fig. 87), and secure the strips by wind- 

 ing with small wire, just below the frame (Fig. 87), or by 

 use of small rubber rings, or else tack them to the frame 



