226 BEE MANIPULATION. [Ch. v. 



occupied frame hive to a fresh one, in which the bees 

 find a clean floor-board and walls, as well as freedom 

 from insects that may have harboured in crevices during 

 the winter. 



§ IV. DRIVING. 



Driving is an operation by which 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 will be in the case of 

 hives well filled with combs that are worked nearly to 

 the floor-board ; 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. \\^hen the old hive is inverted the 

 bees crawl up the combs, and thus more easily pass up 

 into the new hive, 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 im- 

 plements. These are — a couple of hives, both of which 

 should correspond in shape and size \vith the hive froin 

 which the bees are to be driven ; a cloth to tie round at 

 the juncture when the new hive is placed on the old one ; 



