DRIVING. 179 



DRIVING. 



Driving is an operation by which bees are induced to 

 vacate an old settled hive and to enter an empty one. 

 Many apiarians prefer this mode of effecting- an exchange 

 of hives to the plan of fUmigating the bees. 



The greatest success attending such a transfer will be 

 in the case of hives well filled with combs that are worked 

 nearly to the floor-board; and it may be remarked, 

 that bees are generally so far provident, that they leave 

 an open space in which to pass underneath their combs 

 over all the floor of the hive. When the old hive is 

 inverted, the bees crawl up the combs, and thus more 

 easily pass up into the new hive, which the operator 

 places over the old one, with the intent that they should 

 enter it. 



The best time for performing this operation is about 

 the middle of the day, and when the weather is warm. 

 It is essential that the operator be protected with a bee- 

 dress and gloves, as before described ; and previous to 

 commencing his task, he must provide all necessary- 

 implements. These are : — a couple of hives, one of 

 which should correspond in shape and size with the hive 

 from which the bees are to be driven ; a cloth to tie 

 round at the junction when the new hive is placed on the 

 old one; some string to keep I^ the cloth in its place; an 

 empty pail to receive the top of the old hive, if one of 

 the old conical shape, but if the stock of bees is in a 



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