224 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



which "kick" only backward or forward, the combs 

 should "run" with the rails, taking the shock "end 

 on " so to speak. Sheep trucks are excellent for travelling 

 bees during summer; in winter louvred trucks {e.g. 

 produce trucks) are better. One hundred and sixty 

 2 storey colonies, 8 frame size, or double that number of 

 single hives can be loaded into the ordinary sheep truck. 

 During the summer months an attendant should go with 

 the consignment to supply water by occasionally spraying 

 it through the screens. 



Always load bees on to a wagon or other horse-drawn 

 vehicle before "yoking up" the team. Previous to 

 unloading, remove horses and tie up at a safe distance. 

 These precautions may perhaps save the life of a valuable 

 beast, should a colony get dropped whilst unloading. 



HOW FAR SHOULD BEES BE MOVED? 



Colonies moved to a new site within a mile of their 

 original location will usually have some bees go back to 

 the old stand and many will be lost. In moving bees to 

 out-yards — which are often too closely situated — it is 

 advisable to take them at least four miles from home. 

 All of the foregoing directions are good for frame-hives, 

 but it is a different matter when colonies of bees in old 

 kerosene cases are to be moved. At times, the box hives 

 are simply jammed down onto a board or even a piece of 

 tin and the bees have combs attached to it. Very often 

 the board is much larger than the box, and until this is 

 taken off it is almost impossible to pack the hive for 

 removal. A fine steel wire, with a wooden handle on the 

 ends, is useful for cutting the combs free. Hold it firmly 

 in each hand and pass the wire underneath the box at 

 the back, so as to form a loop ; steady pulling on the wire 

 will cut the combs without much disturbance to the bees. 



If the box is tight and without holes, a piece of wire 

 gauze should be tacked over the opening. Always carry 

 box-hives with the wire gauze on top. Bees invariably 

 store their honey above the brood, and when the box is 

 carried the reverse way to which it occupied the stand. 



