BEE-KEEPEll's MANUAL. 189 



cross-bars ; but when you take away the honey, separate 

 the boxes a few inches, during 24 hours, and the most of 

 the bees will return to the old combs ; unless there be a 

 large quantity of larvae among the new ones. 



If it be found that the bees do not desert the new 

 combs at all, perhaps the queen may be among them, in 

 which case, she would draw a portion, if not all of the 

 bees in the other box after her, as soon as they might 

 become aware of their isolation. A very good way is 

 to cause a commotion among the tenants of both boxes, 

 by shaking or beating the hives, when the separation 

 takes place ; and the bees will at once, from instinct, 

 endeavor to ascertain whether the queen be safe, and 

 among them, and the box that does not contain her will 

 be certain to be evacuated in a great degree; and 

 whoUy, if there be no larvae therein. 



BEES KEMAINING IN COLLATERAL BOXES HOW GOT 



RID OF, ETC. 



When a few hundred bees remain among the combs 

 of a collateral box, they may be so frightened, as to be 

 rendered perfectly harmless. All you have to do, is to 

 beat the box well with a rod ; and every comb may be 

 cut out with the greatest facility ; and as each comb is 

 withdrawn, brush off the bees with some soft brush, 

 which should be kept for the use of the apiary. An or- 

 dinary window brush, with a handle a foot or eighteen 

 inches long, is what is wanted. 



