go AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



pended upon to remain long before rising again. Some- 

 times they may remain for days and build comb, and at 

 other times leave in less than one hour. A couple of 

 sacks, a box, and a couple of small stones or pieces of 

 wood will be needed. Spread one sack on the ground 

 under the cluster, then hold the box with one hand right 

 under the bees, as close as possible, and with the other 

 hand give the limb or bough on which they are hanging 

 a good jar, when most, if not all the bees, will drop into 

 the box. Turn the box with the bees underneath on to 

 the sack at once, and under the corners of one end place 

 the two small stones, or pieces of wood, to raise the box 

 so that the bees can go in and out. 



Sometimes swarms settle in most awkward places for 

 taking; a little ingenuity must then be exercised, always 

 keeping in view that the best way is to get the bees down 

 on a sack, or some cloth with the box over them, or as 

 near to them as possible, and in this case brush the bees 

 towards the box. 



For the beginner, the best plan is to leave the box with 

 the bees in till about 5 or 6 p.m. before hiving the bees, 

 shading the box in the meantime with the other sack. 

 When the bees are disturbed from the box soon after 

 they have settled in it, to hive them, they are very likely 

 to leave the hive and decamp, but when hived in the 

 evening they settle down to work before morning, and 

 are then, as a rule, safe. 



The hive, as already suggested, having been placed in 

 its permanent position, with its frames filled with sheets 

 of comb foundation, the front should be propped up an 

 inch or so off the bottom board with small pieces of wood 

 to make a big entrance, and a sack should be laid across 

 the alighting board to prevent the bees falling to the 

 ground when dumped down. The bees can then be 

 shaken as near to the entrance as possible ; if one corner 

 of the box be smartly dumped on the ground first, the 

 jar will dislodge the bees from the cluster and they can 



