HINTS ON WORKING THE BEES 79 
Driving Bees.—After the honey-flow is 
ended, it becomes necessary to clear some of 
the hives and unite the bees with others. The 
old method of dealing with this matter was the 
drastic and wasteful one of putting the hive over 
the sulphur pit and wiping out the bees. The 
more economical, as well as humane, method 
of driving is now generally practised by the 
commercial bee-keeper. Driving is often ac- 
complished immediately after the clover has 
finished flowering, and the bees sold to the 
bee-keepers-in the heather districts, who are 
often glad to increase their stocks in readiness 
for the heather honey harvest. In other cases 
the driven bees are used to strengthen weak 
hives. In any case driving must be done be- 
fore the autumn unless the bee-keeper is pre- 
pared to give the bees drawn-out combs and food 
to fill them with in preparation for the winter. 
When driving is to be put into operation it 
is always advisable to remove the hive that is to 
be driven well away from the other hives, for 
the operator is far more liable to be stung by 
the bees from them than by those to be driven. 
An empty hive should be placed in the position 
occupied by the removed one: this will serve 
to attract any stragglers and prevent their flying 
away. 
