242 BEE MANIPULATION. [Ch. V. 



out the frames one by one and jerking off the bees on to 

 the sheet in front of the new pei-manent hive ; that on 

 which the queen is found will be inserted therein just as 

 it is — queen, brood, and workers. If the swarm is being 

 collected in a skep the queen must be taken with the 

 fingers and deposited therein, while the bees from as 

 many frames as are needful must be shaken in after her. 



There is sometimes a doubt whether a hive is strong 

 enough to yield a swarm, though apparently overstocked. 

 In such cases there is an excellent plan, devised by Mr. 

 Langstroth and strongly approved by Mr. Cheshire, for 

 obtaining a single swarm out of two hives. On a suit- 

 able morning, when large numbers are upon the wing, 

 drum a strong stock till every bee has left it. Place the 

 forced swarm on ,the old stand : this of course consists of 

 bees in an unfurnished hive, while the old hive has lost all 

 its bees, but retains its brood. Remove this hive to the 

 stand of another strong stock, the hive of which goes to 

 a third spot with the bees inside it at the time. Those 

 of this last which were upon the wing will enter and 

 remain with the first hive and raise a new queen ; while 

 sufficient will be transferred with the second stock hive 

 to protect its brood also. Thus the first stock gives no 

 bees to the swarm, but the whole of its brood ; the second 

 gives the larger half of its bees. If frame hives are the 

 ones used, the shaking process of the last paragraph may 

 be substituted for drumming; but as it may not be possible 

 to shake off every bee without damaging the combs, a 



