ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 195 



SO many chickens helping themselves to corn. While they 

 are thus engaged, the frames must be very gently pried by 

 a stick, from their attachments to the rabbets on which they 

 rest ; this may be done without any injurious jar, and with* 

 out wounding or enraging a single bee, as the rabbets are 

 made wide enough to admit the stick behind the shoulders 

 of the frames, so that they can be pried from the rear to the 

 front. If the rabbets were ju§t wide enough to receive the 

 shoulders of the frames, it would be necessary, in loosening 

 the frames, to pry them laterally or towards each other, by 

 which they might be brought so close together, as to crush 

 the bees, injure the brood, disfigure the combs, or even kill 

 the queen. The frames may all be loosened, preparatory to 

 removing them, in less than a minute.* By this time, the 

 sprinkled bees will have filled themselves, or if all have not 

 done so, the grateful intelligence that sweets have been 

 furnished them, will diffuse an unusual good nature through 

 all the honied realm. The Apiarian should now gently push 

 the third comb from one of the ends, a little nearer to the 

 fourth one ; and then the second one as near as he can to 

 the third one, so as to get ample room to lift out the end 

 comb without crushing it or injuring any of the bees. To 

 remove the end or outside comb, take hold of its two shoul- 

 ders which rest upon the rabbets, and carefully lifl it without 

 letting it touch the sides of the hive so as to crush the bees. 

 Tn the same way, if it is desired to remove any particular 

 frame, room must be gained by pushing away from it 

 the adjoining frames on each side. As bees usually build 

 their combs slightly waving, it will be found impossible 



* Before I discovered the efficacy of smoke or sweetened water, I 

 have oftea spent more than ten minutes in opening and shutting a 

 single frame in the Huber hive, and even then have crashed some of 

 the bees. 



