Hunting Bee Trees. 223 



preferred by the experienced. The beginner will find it 

 more easy and pleasant to first drum out all the bees before 

 he commences to cut out the combs. 



Of course, in transferring from one frame to another, the 

 matter is much simplified. In this case, after thoroughly 

 smoking the bees, we have but to lift the frames and shake 

 or brush the bees into the new hive. For a brush, a chicken 

 or turkey wing, a large wing or tail feather from a turkey, 

 goose or peacock, or a twig of pine or bunch of asparagus 

 twigs serves admirably. Cheap and excellent brushes, 

 (Fig. no) are now for sale by all supply dealers. Now 

 cut out the combjn the best form to accommodate the new 

 frames, and fasten as already suggested. After the combs 

 are all transferred, shake all remaining bees in front of the 

 new hive, which has already been placed on the stand pre- 

 viously occupied by the old hive. 



Sometimes bees from trees in the forest are transferred 

 to hives and the apiary. 



HUNTING BEE TREES. 



Except for recreation, this is seldom profitable. It is 

 slow and uncertain work. The tree when found is not 

 our own, and though the owner may consent to our cutting 

 it, he may dislike to do so. The bees, when found, are 

 difficult to get alive; it is even more difficult to get the 

 honey in good condition, and when secured, the honey and 

 bees are often almost worthless; 



The principle upon which bees are "lined" is this: That 

 after filling with honey, a bee always takes a direct course 

 — "a bee line"— to its hive. To hunt the bee-trees we 

 need a bottle of sweetened water, a little honey-comb, 

 unless the bees are gathering freely from forest flowers, 

 and a small bottomless box with a sliding glass cover, and 

 a small shelf attached to the middle of one side on the 

 inside of the box. A shallow tray or piece of honey-comb 

 is to be fastened to this shelf. If the bees are not found 

 on flowers, we can attract them by burning a piece of honey- 

 comb. If on a flower, set the box over them after turning 

 a little of the sweetened water in the comb or tray on the 

 shelf. It is easy to get them to sipping this sweet. Then 



