258 THB bbe-kkbpbr's guidb; 



CHAPTER VIL 



TO TRANSFER BEES. 



As the prospective bee-keeper may have purchased his 

 bees in box-hives, barrels, or hollow logs, and so, of course, 

 will desire to transfer them immediately into movable-frame 

 hives, or, as already suggested, may wish to transfer from one 

 movable-frame to another, I will now proceed to describe the 

 process. 



Among the many valuable methods which Mr. Heddon has 

 given to the bee-keeping public, not the least valuable is that of 

 transferring. This method should be used only at or j ust before 

 the swarming season — the best time to transfer. After blow- 

 ing a little smoke into the hive, sufficient to alarm the bees, 

 we set it a little aside, and put in its place the new hive full of 

 wired foundation. We now turn the old hive, whatever it may 

 be, bottom side up, and place a box over it. If the bees are 

 sufficiently smoked, it will make no difference even if the box 

 is not close-fitting to the old hive. Yet the beginner will feel 

 safer to have it so ; and in this case no stinging can take 

 place. We then with a stick or hammer rap on the hive for 

 from ten to twenty minutes. The bees will fill with honey 

 and go with the queen into the upper box and cluster. If 

 towards the last we carefully set the box off once or twice, and 

 vigorously shake the hive, and then replace the box, we will 

 hasten the emigration of the bees, and make it more complete. 

 I got this last suggestion from Mr. Baldridge. A few young 

 bees will still remain in the old hive, but these will do no harm. 



We next take the box, which contains the queen and nearly 

 all the bees, and shake the bees all out in front of the hive 

 already placed on the old stand. The bees will at once take 

 possession, draw out, or better, build out, the foundation in a 

 surprisingly short time, and will give us a set of combs which 

 will surpass in beauty those procured in any other way. 

 Should the bees be unable to gather any honey for some days, 



