Cottager and Smallholder 



41 



XV.— PACKING BEES FOR TRAiVSIT. 



If a Bwarm of bees has to travel by road or rail in a skep it 

 should be confined by tying over the mouth a piece of very open 

 material, such as cheese straining cloth. The skep must 

 travel mouth upwards, or the bees will be suffocated. Make a 

 rough framework, and pack it as Fig. 50. 'I'he same method is 



Fig. 60. 



adopted -with a stocked skep or box hive, with the addition of 

 securing the combs by pushing wood skewers through them 

 and the hive sides several days before removal, so that the bees 

 may attach the combs to them. 



It is better to send a swarm in a box, Fig. 51, the top and 

 bottom of which is covered with perforated zinc, so that an 

 abundance of ventilation is provided. Swarms should always 

 be fastened up at night on the day of issue, and sent off the 

 next morning before they have time to build combs. 



To prepare a colony in a movable-comb hive for travelling, 

 make a frame of one inch wood to cover the top of the brood 

 chamber ; remove the quilts and screw this frame firmly on to the 

 sides of the hive, so that it holds the frames tightly to prevent 

 them moving. Cover this by tacking on cheese straining cloth or 



