MANIPULATING. 5 1 



90. Driving, — By " driving " is meant the act of causing the 

 bees to vacate their skep, leaving combs and brood, and entering 

 another skep or other receptacle. Before commencing provide 

 yourself with the following articles : A table, a fumigator or 

 sinoker, subjugating cloths, two iron staples, a short skewer, a 

 veil, and an empty skep. Having thus prepared yourself, put on 

 the veil, go to the skep to be driven and blow about a dozen 

 or so puffs with the fumigator right into the entrance — pushing 

 the nozzle well in — directly stopping it up with a tuft of grass 

 placed in lengthways, not screwed up anyhow ; then tap the outside 

 of the skep a few times all round with your open hands — this is 

 more especially required on a cool day ; directly you hear a con- 

 siderable hum, it is time to leave off. Now withdraw the grass, 

 and give five or six more puffs, after which allow the bees a couple 

 of minutes' rest in order that they may fill themselves with 

 honey. During this time you must prevent any bees from coming 

 out by means of the fumigator or subjugating cloths. Then gently 

 turn the skep upside down, driving the 

 bees between the combs as you do it ; 

 place it upon the table in this inverted 

 position. If it is a flat-topped skep, it 

 will stand without any support ; but if 

 of a dome shape, it must be put in a 

 pail to steady it. Now take the empty 

 skep, and push the skewer through its 

 extreme edge, from inside to outside ; 

 then place it nearly mouth down upon 

 : the stock, and push the pointed end 

 of the skewer into the top edge of the 

 „ .. „ „, , lower skep — this forms a hinge. Lift 



Driving the top skep up in front, and insert 



the two staples on the outside, so as 

 to fix it in the position as seen in the engraving. Be parti- 

 cular that the combs run from back to front, and not across 

 the opening thus made, or you will have some trouble to 

 make the bees ascend. Then drive the bees down from the 

 front and two sides, as you want the bees to run up the back 

 part. So arrange your skeps that the strongest light comes 

 from your back. Now commence with the palms of your two 

 hands to give regular, slow, and continuous taps, so as to jar 

 the combs, but not hard enough to break them ; presently the 

 bees will get into a violent commotion, and will commence to 

 run up the back part of the skep into the top one. Some 'will 

 endeavour to "boil over" the sides; these must be driven down. 

 After a short time, the stock skep will be emptied of its bees ; 

 then the top one with the bees in it can be removed. In driving 

 with a smoker the same course is pursued ; but the entrance must 

 not be stopped. The easiest plan to subjugate the bees in a 



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