I70 THE APIARY. 



aifording an artificial swarm with a movable frame- 

 hive is a decided advantage. The best time for per- 

 forming the operation is about ten o'clock in the morn- 

 ing of a fine summer's day. The following directions 

 should be carried out : — Place ready a counter or bench 

 that is firm and strong, and which has space on it 

 for the inhabited — or, rather, the over-inhabited — frame 

 hive and the empty one, which is about to be made the 

 receptacle of a separate stock. The operator, attired 

 in his bee-dress, and having the other appliances ready, 

 may now open the hive* as before described, and pro- 

 ceed to take out the frames, carefully examining both 

 sides of each comb to find the queen :t she is generally 

 in the centre of the hive, so that it is not always needful 

 to take out all the ten frames. As they are examined, 

 the frames may be put into the empty hive, and when 

 the object of the bee-master's search is found, he must 

 carefully remove the frame containing her majesty, and 

 may place it temporarily in the empty hive, at one end 

 by itself. Next he must proceed to put the frames back 



* Bees are apt to take the interference more kindly if the stock 

 be moved a little distance from its accustomed stand ; in such case, 

 place an empty hive in its place, to amuse returning bees. These 

 can be shaken out when the hive it is desired they should inhabit 

 is restored. If tlie hive be kept in a closed bee-house, the en- 

 trance should be shut down until the hive is replaced, when the 

 clustered bees may be at once admitted. 



t Italian queens are more easily detected, being of a brighte 

 colour and, generally, larger than English queens. 



