and its Economic Management. 103 



therefrom is laying freely, destroy the other and unite the 

 two colonies on the second evening following, when supers 

 may be at once put on. 



It -is better that transfering operations be carried out in 

 some warm room, or manipulating house, first laying a sheet of 

 paper on the table whereon the tapes are to be arranged, with 

 the frames on those, so that all is in readiness for tying as soon 

 as the combs are fitted. While it is not absolutely necessary 

 that the combs be fitted in just the same way up as they were 

 built, it is not desirable to have them inverted, but to save 

 material it is often advisable to put them in on end, or half 

 inverted, as I have done for many years past. Certainly there 

 is the brood to handle if transferred before the twenty-one days 

 have expired, but with ordinary care this is hot damaged., 

 except where the knife cuts a straight line, and that is far 

 preferable to having the combs full of honey. 



Other Plans of Transferring, 



such as the following, may commend themselves to either the 

 novice, or those who have little time to spare. 



The first is to place the fixed comb-hive upon the frames of 

 the modern hive, with a slatted board between, and allow the 

 bees to work downwards on the combs or foundation placed 

 for them. Towards the end of the season the stock will have 

 its brood located in the frames, while honey will probably 

 occupy the whole of the upper combs. This can then be 

 removed, but the stock must not be allowed -to starve, as it is 

 quite likely very little store will be in the brood combs. 



The other method is that of placing the skep or other 

 ■fixed comb-hive in an inverted position- immediately under the 

 frame-hive, allowing communication through an opening in an 

 improvised floor. In this case^ the inverted combs will be 

 gradually emptied of everything. The stock will then take up 

 its abode in the frames, and also work in supers above. These 

 empty combs can then be transferred at leisure. 



