224 BEE MANTPULATIO.Y. [Ch. v. 



plish the object without this destruction if it is not de- 

 sired. Mr. Cheshire's transferring board (page 192) comes 

 in useful here. If one is possessed the frames may be 

 laid upon it, and the combs, which should be cut as 

 large as possible, must then be placed within these. "Of 

 course they will not exactly fit, but they must be adjusted, 

 piece by piece, till they bind each other together; the 

 few interstices the bees will soon fill up. If in any of 

 the frames there is not sufficient comb, supply empty 

 comb if it is to hand, and in default of such, fix an 

 additional bottom bar inside the frame — a false bottom 

 as it may be called — at whatever height the supply of 

 comb requires. Drone comb, however, should be used 

 very sparingly, and t-his only for the outside frames, in 

 which it is not likely to be selected by the queen for 

 breeding purposes, but left for storage of honey. Both 

 filled and partly filled frames must now be made secure 

 by tying pieces of tape or pliable wire (even string will 

 answer) round the whole from top bar to bottom or false 

 bottom ; there should be two of these to a frame, or 

 ]3erhaps three if the pieces of comb are small. In two 

 days or so the bees ivill have made all firm enough for 

 the tape to be dispensed vnth, which should accor4ingly 

 be done, as it is in the bees' way. To effect this, dis- 

 member first the cells from the tape by means of a sharp 

 knife, and then cut the tape and draw it out. Care 

 should be taken that the combs occupy the same posi- 

 tion in the frames as in the hive from which they were 



