52 



THE BOOK OF BEE-KEEPING. 



sleep is to stand behind it and then drop a subjugating cloth over 

 the entrance as a curtain, the two top corners being held between 

 the two thumbs and the side of the skep, and the hands pressing 

 on the latter. Loosen the skep from its stand and turn it upside 

 down, the top coming towards you; this will cause the cloth to fall 

 right over the mouth of the skep and so prevent any escape of 

 bees, at the same time effectively subjugating them. 



91. Transferring. — As the term denotes, this applies to 

 the removal of a stock, with combs and brood, from one hive 

 and placing them in another ; but in bee-keeping it only applies 

 to such a proceeding when practised between skeps or boxes and 

 bar-frame hives. If we take a stock and combs from one bar- 

 frame hive and put them in another, although it is transferring, 

 it would not come under that denomination from a bee-keeper's 

 point of view. This manipulation is frequently performed if the 

 stock has nice straight and fairly new combs ; but, on the other 

 hand, one having old, dark, and crooked combs is not worth 

 the trouble. It is, to a novice, the easiest method to transfer 

 three weeks after swarming, as then there is usually no capped 

 brood in the hive — 

 consequently, no like- 

 lihood of damage be- 

 ing done to it. We 

 will suppose that you 

 have a stock with 

 quite straight combs, 

 and the skep is at 

 least iiin. high. The 

 appliances needed will 

 be two penny bundles 

 of the narrowest tape 

 procurable, a board 



:^ 



s?£^ 



Method of Securing Comb in Frame, 



of a size rather larger than a bar-frame, a pair of scissors, 

 and a sharp table-knife. Now commence by driving the stock 

 as described under the heading "Driving" (par. 90), and, when 

 finished, place the bees on one side. Take the skep containing 

 the combs, and cut it in halves between the two centre combs : 

 this allows them to be taken out with much ease, although it 

 destroys the skep. A knife is sold, having a hooked blade, that 

 can be used to cut the combs out without destroying the skep ; 

 but cutting it in halves is much the easiest plan. Now place 

 the board upon a table and lay two pieces of tape, each 2 sin. 

 long, across this board ; then take one of the combs from the 

 skep, lay it flat upon the tapes, and then put one of the frarnes 

 of the bar-frame hive upon it, marking the exact size of the inside 

 of the frame upon the comb ; remove the frame and cut the comb 

 as marked. Now place the frame about the comb, and, bringing 

 the two ends of each tape together, tie the comb into the frame. 



