108 AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



CHAPTER XVII. 



HANDLING. 



Undoubtedly the three most important allies to a bee-keeper are 

 eyes that are keen to observe small movements, ears quick to 

 detect the tones and semitones made by the wings of the bees, and 

 fingers, very sensitive to touch, and nimble enough to adjust, swiftly 

 but gently, frames at the required distances, or to change those 

 spaces as circumstances may require. The last-mentioned faculty 

 is, perhaps, the most important of all, and the novice will learn 

 from experience that" much of his success will depend upon the 

 dexterity and discretion he is able to exercise in the manipulation 

 of his frames. 



Somewhere in his Complete Angler, old Izzak Walton says, in 

 referring to putting a worm on the hook, "Handle it gently, as 

 though you loved it." That is the most essential advice I can give 

 to any who want to know how to become a bee-master. Be kind, 

 be gen tie. Gentle in all your movements. Kind in moving the 

 bees from place to place. What queer ideas onlookers have as to 

 the reason why a practical bee-keeper is so successful in handling 

 his bees, and the extraordinary notions these onlookers entertain 

 as to the docility of the bees when under manipulation. "Oh, the 

 bees know him," or "He has chloroform about him," or, "He puts 

 something in that smoker (the bee-bellows) that stupefies the 

 bees," are some of the ejaculations that I have overheard again 

 and again when giving practical lectures on "How to handle bees." 

 If I were giving my experience under this head, many amusing 

 and interesting circumstances could I relate that bee-keepers them- 

 selves would hardly give credence to. An experienced bee-keeper 

 dtoes not handle his bees with that apparent nonchalance because 

 he is assured of the fact that his bees know him. How can it 

 be so? Look at the thousands of inmates in a hive. How can 

 the individuals in that community become acquainted with their 

 keeper ? No, it is not that the bees know their master, but that 

 the master has a knowledge of his bees. He knows by certain of 

 their movements, their appearance, and tone (perhaps I had better 

 say voice), how far he can go, and no farther. We must remember 



