232 Transferring Described. 



with small tacks. Some bee-keepers use U-shaped pieces 

 of wire or tin to hold the comb in the frame. 



Captain Hetherington has invented and practices a very 

 neat method of fastening comb into frames. In construct- 

 ing his frames, he bores small holes through the top, side 

 and bottom-bars of his frames, about two inches apart; 

 these holes are just large enough to permit the passage of 

 the long spines of the hawthorn. Now, in transferring 

 comb, he has but to stick these thorns through into the 

 comb to hold it secui-ely. He can also use all the pieces, 

 and still make a neat and secure frame of comb. He finds 

 this arrangement convenient, too, in strengthening insecure 

 combs. In answer to my inquiry, this gentleman said it 

 paid well to bore such holes in all his frames, which are 

 eleven by sixteen inches, inside measure. I discarded such 

 frames because of the liability of the comb to fall out. 



Having fastened all the nice worker comb into the frames 

 — of course all other comb will be melted into wax — we 

 place all the frames containing brood together in the center 

 of our new hive, especially if the colony is weak, or the 

 weather cool, and confine the space by use of the division 

 board, adding the other frames as the bees may need them. 

 We now place our new hive on the stand, opening the 

 entrance wide, so that the bees can enter anywhere along 

 the alighting board. We then shake all the bees from the 

 box, and any young bees that may have clustered on any 

 part of the old hive, or on the floor or ground, where we 

 transferred the comb, immediately in front of the hive. 

 They will enter at once and soon be at work, all the busier 

 for having passed "from the old house into the new." In 

 two or thi'ee days remove the wires, or strings and sticks, 

 when we shall find, the combs all fastened and smoothed 

 off, and the bees as busily engaged as though their present 

 home had always been the seat of their labors. 



In practicing this method, many proceed at once to trans- 

 fer without drumming out the bees. In this case the bees 

 should be well smoked, should be driven, by use of the 

 smoker, away from the side of the old hive where the 

 combs are being cut loose, and may be brushed direct from 

 the old combs into the new hive. This method will only be 



