62 SUCCESSFUL BEE-KEEPING. 
committed, and not immediately remedied as it should be, 
by supplying a fertile queen from another hive, leaving 
the stock from which she is taken to rear a new one. 
Another reason why it is unsafe to transfer a swarm of 
bees while they have yet an unfertile queen is, that a dis- 
turbance of the swarm at this time is apt to cause the 
bees to accompany the young queen upon her bridal trip, 
sometimes returning, but often absconding with her to the 
forests. This result may be prevented by timely giving 
such swarms brood comb, containing eggs and larve, 
from other hives. It is also an effectual remedy against 
any loss of swarms by flight after hiving ; for bees will not 
desert their young. In four to six days after transferring, 
the combs are to be righted, and the temporary slats re- 
moved, and any needed correction of position attended to. 
“DRIVING,” OR FORCED SWARMING. 
This operation is performed precisely as if you intended 
to transfer the combs, with this difference only, namely : 
when you have separated the bees from the combs con- 
tained in the old hive, cover the latter with a gauze-wire 
cloth, or other suitable material, while the queen is being 
hunted up. When found, she is placed with one-fourth of 
the bees in a new hive upon the old stand, while three- 
fourths of the bees are taken with the old hive, and placed 
in a new location. If this operation be performed ten 
days before others are going to be driven, queen cells may 
be taken from this for supplying other hives. But to 
swarm bees in this manner, requires considerable skill, 
and a good degree of knowledge of bees ;—and even then 
is lable to fail, from the fact that we work in a great 
measure in the dark, and can never know, as we ought, 
