THOUSAND ANSWERS 
217 
Q. I want to take a few swarms with me to Minnesota about 
July 30. The car will likely be on the road about a week. How 
shall I prepare the bees for shipment? (Illinois.) 
A. The frames in your hives must be fastened so they cannot 
move about, although that is not necessary if you have frames 
with fixed distance, as you probably have. If the entrances to 
your hives are two inches deep, closing them with wire-cloth may 
give all the needed ventilation. Otherwise better have the entire 
top covered with wire-cloth by means of a frame an inch or two 
deep. With only a few hives, you can have each one on the floor, 
kept in place by cleats nailed onto the floor. If the weather is 
very hot, sprinkle the bees with water every little while. 
Q. How about fixing bees in the hives to be shipped 1,500 
miles by rail? How shall I go about it to do a good job, so there 
will be no bees getting out, and how should'they sit in the car- 
lengthwise ? 
A. To make a good job of it is something of an undertaking, 
In brief, you will use wire-cloth for ventilation, having the en- 
trance closed with it, and having a frame the size of the top of 
the hive covered with wire-cloth, which frame you will fasten 
upon the top of the hive with four wood-screws. You will put the 
hives in the car with the frames running in the same direction as 
the rails of the railroad, nailing strips on the bottom of the car 
so the lower tier of hives cannot shake about. You must not set 
the upper tiers of hives piled up directly upon one another, for 
that would stop ventilation; but over the lower tiers you will 
put 2x2 or 2x4 scantling, running across the car, on which to rest 
the upper tiers, thus leaving a space for ventilation. You will 
probably use a cattle-car, which favors ventilation; and you will 
see to it that you can get at all the hives to spray the bees with 
water when they become excited and heated. 
Shipping-Cases. — Q. Do you get shipping-cases returned? 
A. No. 
Shipping Comb Honey. — Q. I write for a little information in 
regard to shipping honey to Chicago, or other large cities. Is it 
necessary to enclose the shipping cases in extra strong boxes, or 
will they stand the rough handling without extra casing? 
A. If section honey is sent in shipping-cases without any 
outside protection there is danger that it may not go safely. No 
need to put the cases in heavy boxes that are close. Crates, or 
carriers, as they are called, should be used, which are more or less 
