ITALIAN BEE KEEPING. 23 



To GET Rid of the Bees befobe Taking Honey. 

 When a frame is removed from the hive in order to take honey, 

 it is necessary to get rid of the bees before putting it into the 

 amielatore; for, if the bees are long left on the frame, they will 

 auok out much honey, or if they are put into the smielatore they 

 will be hurt. They may be dislodged, when yon have withdrawn 

 a frame covered with bees, by jerking the frame so that the bees 

 fall off ; they will fall on the ground, and when they have recovered 

 the shook they will return to the hive. Go a little distance from 

 the hive, and, if possible on grass, give the frame, which you hold 

 by the projections of the upper bar, one good jerk, then walk 

 quickly away, give another jerk, and so on till nearly all have fallen 

 off. The few that remain may be brushed ofE with a feather. If 

 you act thus, it is necessary to carefully scan the frame before you 

 begin, as the queen may be among the bees — although this will very 

 rarely be the case if you take out the end frames which contain 

 honeycomb only, the brood comb being always confined to the 

 centre frames — in case the queen is removed put back that frame 

 and take, another. If by chance you do shake her off, the other 

 bees will not abandon her, and in that case you will see, even 

 several hours afterwards, a cluster of bees on the grass where you 

 shook them off ; then most carefully brush her into a wineglass and 

 carry her back to the hive, where she will be welcomed right royally. 



I find it a better plan to drive the bees from the frame before I 

 take it out of the hive. This is easily done by taking two common 

 long clay pipes. There is a small hole in my veil (which I generally 

 keep pinned up), through which I then pass these two pipes. One I 

 fill with tobacco, and smoke as usual ; the other one, which has 

 the empty bowl inside the veil, I use to puff the smoke into the 

 hive on both sides of the frame to be taken, putting the end of the 

 pipe in at the bee entrance, and puffing the smoke in through the 

 bowl and stem, which is small enough to enter far between the 

 frames. The bees then take refuge in other combs right and left 

 of the one I require. 



Cleaninu the Smielatoee. 



As soon as yon have done taking honey each day, put all the 

 utensUs which yon have been working with, such as smielatore, 

 knives, and even gloves (which will then be smeared with honey), 

 near the hives, and in a short time you will find the bees will com- 

 pletely clean them of all the honey. After that the smielatore should 

 be washed. 



Ebgisteb of Swakms and Honbt. 



When you place a hive, number it and make a note in a small 

 account book, which you should keep for registering swaijms and 



