84) THE APIARY; OE, 



DRIVING. 



Driving is an operation by whicli 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 wiU be in the 

 case of hives weU. fiUed with combs that are worked nearly to the 

 floorboard; 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 liive, 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 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 

 square box hive with a flat top, a firm stool will be the best ; and a 

 No. 12 fuinigator with some fungus, which will complete the material 

 of war. The bucket or stool must be placed securely on the ground 

 about a yard from the place where the full hive stands ; then a few pufi's 

 of smoke being blown in amongst the bees, will cause them to retreat 

 up amongst the combs. The bee-master will now turn the hive* 

 upside down very gently, letting it rest in the pail or on the stool ; 

 he then quickly places the empty hive over the full one, and ties 

 the cloth round it to prevent any escape of the bees. If the cloth 

 be damped, it will cling the closer to the hives. The third hive is 

 intended to be placed on the stand formerly occupied by the stock, 

 so as to retain the few returning bees which had been absent in the 



* Care should be exercised in turning the hives over to keep the combs 

 vertical, or they are likely to break from their foundations. 



