158 Transferring Bees. 



CHAPTER VII. 

 TO TRAi^SFER BEES. 



As you may have purchased your bees in bos hives, barrels, 

 or hollow logs, and so, of course, will desire to transfer tliem 

 immediately into movable-frame hives, or, as already suggest- 

 ed, you 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. By his method the work may be done at any 

 season whenever the bees are on the wing. After blowing a 

 little smoke into the hive, sufficient to alarm the bees, we set 

 it a little aside, and put in its place our 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 suf- 

 ficiently smoked, it will make no difference even if the box is 

 not close fitting to the old hive. 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 re- 

 place the box, we will hasten the emigration of the bees, and 

 make it more complete. I got this suggestion from JMr. Bald- 

 ridge. 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 tlie hive, 

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

 possession, draw out the foundation in a surprisingly short 

 time, and will give us a set of combs which will surpass in 

 beauty those procured m any other way Should the bees be 

 unable to gather any honey for some days, of course we must 

 feed them, but as we shall see in the sequel, this will pay, even 

 were it unnecessary. 



We set the old hive aside for twenty-one days, when the 

 voung bees will all come from the cells. Should the weather 

 be coJd, we might have to put this in a warm room, so the 



