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DR. MILLER S 
where their old stands were, but there cannot be much trouble 
from that, for I have many times put my bees on new stands in 
the spring without trouble. 
Q. As I have to move about three miles March 1st, when do 
you think would be the best time to move my bees? I have them 
in boxes with chaff packed around them. Will the bees get ven- 
tilation enough from the entrance, or had I better put a screen 
over the top of the hive in moving them? 
A. It will not do to disturb the winter packing any sooner 
than is necessary, so you had better not move them till bees are 
flying every few days, possibly in April. If you choose a cool day 
the entrances will probably give ventilation enough, unless it be 
that it is less than the equivalent of 3 or 4 square inches. Of 
course, extra strong colonies may require extra ventilation. 
Q. Next spring I want to move 20 colonies in a wagon. When 
would be the best time to move them, and how would be the best 
way to load? 
A. It doesn’t matter such a great deal what time in spring 
you move them. If you move them when it is freezing hard there 
is danger that the combs will break. If you move them after they 
have begun to fly freely you must take the precaution to close the 
hives the evening before, otherwise you will lose some of the 
field bees. 
Put them in the wagon with the frames running crosswise, as 
the greatest shaking is from the wagon swinging from side to 
side. 
Q. I would like to move my 15 colonies about 80 to 100 miles 
from here. I made arrangements to move them in the spring 
while they would be light and not so crowded, and so that there 
would still be snow up in the hills to take them on the sleigh 
where otherwise the road would be rough. The time to go over 
the snow would take about one day. If I leave the entrance open, 
also the top, and shut up with screen, put the hives on a spring 
wagon and some straw under the hives, would this plan work all 
right? 
A. Your plan ought to work all right. There remains the pos- 
sibility of an unusually warm day occurring during the part of the 
journey when the bees were on the wagon, making the bees very 
uneasy. In that case you would quiet them by sprinkling water 
upon them. 
Q. Can bees be moved in the fall, say the last of September 
or the first of October. I want to move them 75 or 80 miles, either 
by rail or wagon. Can it be done without damage? 
