290 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



CHANGING FROM SINGLE TO DOUBLE HIVES. 



Possibly you may be ready to agree with me so far 

 as to say, "Certainly, the thing looks desirable, but is it 

 feasible? Will not the trouble counterbalance all ad- 

 vantage ?" I know it is usually a matter of some trouble 

 to change a colony from one location to another in the 

 same apiary. I think, however, that I have reduced the 

 trouble to a minimum. I will give you my plan and you 

 can judge for yourself. 



As I have already told you, my hives stand in pairs, 

 and I kept them so, years before I thought of double 

 hives. Some time before the change is made to double 

 hives, the entrances of the hives are closed at one side, 

 so that the bees become accustomed to using the same 

 side of the entrance that they will use when thrown into 

 the double hive, that is, the right hand colony will use 

 the right hand side of its entrance, and the left hand col- 

 ony will use the left hand side of its entrance. Each 

 colony will have four of its combs so solid with honey 

 that it will be well provisioned. 



Remembering that the two colonies of a pair are on 

 the same stand, we now remove both hives from the 

 stand and set the double hive on the middle of the stand. 

 Then the four combs from the right hand hive will be 

 put with their bees in the right hand side of the double 

 colony, and the rest of the bees brushed from the other 

 combs. The left hand side is treated the same way. 

 Some bees will still be left in the depopulated hives ; so 

 these hives can be set at each side, the entrance of the 

 empty hive at the proper entrance of the double hive, and 

 left there long enough for the bees to crawl in and join 

 their companions. 



The matter is now accomplished and it has been no 

 long or difficult job. The bees use the new entrance 

 almost as readily as the old. To them their hive seems 



