PUTTING ON AND TAKING OFF BOXES. 179 
MANNER OF DISPOSING OF THE BEES IN THE BOXES. 
Arouse the bees by striking the box lightly four or 
live times. If all the cells are finished, and honey is 
still obtained, turn the box bottom up, near the hive 
from which it was taken, so that the bees can enter it 
without flying; by this means you can save several 
young bees, that have never left the hive and marked 
the location, and a few others too weak to fly, but will 
follow the others into the hive; (such are lost when 
we are obliged to carry them at a distance.) Boxes 
can be taken off either in the morning or evening; if 
in the morning, it may stand several hours when the 
sun is not too hot, but on no account let it stand in 
the sun in the middle of the day, as the combs will 
melt. The bees will all leave, sometimes in an hour ; 
at others they will not be out in three. They may be 
taken off at evening and stand till morning, in fair 
weather ; if not too cool, they are generally all out ; 
but here is some risk of the moth finding it and de- 
positing her eggs ; perhaps one in fifty may be thus 
found. 
BEES DISPOSED TO CARRY AWAY HONEY. 
When boxes are taken off at the end of the honey 
season, a different method of getting rid of the bees 
must be adopted, or we lose our honey. Unless the 
combs are all finished, we lose some then any way, as 
most of the bees fill themselves before leaving ; they 
carry it home and return for more immediately, and 
take it all, if not prevented. It has been recom- 
mended to take it to some dark room with a small 
