The Manipulation of Bees 
239 
Desirability of straight combs in manipulation. 
The use of comb-foundation in the frames is desirable to 
insure uniform comb, all of worker cells, except in places 
where the foundation may sag or become torn. Drone 
comb is undesirable ex¬ 
cept in raising drones for 
queen-rearing. The use 
of comb-foundation in 
wired frames insures 
straight combs and re¬ 
duces the danger of bees 
being crushed in remov¬ 
ing or in returning 
frames. A frame-hive 
with combs built cross¬ 
wise is more difficult to 
handle than a box-hive 
and this should never be 
permitted. The en¬ 
trance of the hive should 
be exactly horizontal so 
that the combs will hang 
parallel with the sides 
of the hive and so that 
the outer ones are not 
fastened to the hive- 
body, if they are prop¬ 
erly spaced at the top. 
The back of the hive 
should be about one 
inch higher than the 
front to allow condensed moisture to escape. A hive level¬ 
ing device made by Burton N. Gates is shown in the ac¬ 
companying illustration (Fig. 104) which needs no descrip¬ 
tion. This has been found useful, especially with the tile 
hive-stands used in the Bureau of Entomology apiary. 
Fig. 104. — Hive leveling device. In the 
upper figure the wedge-shaped piece is 
on edge so that when the top is level 
the hive entrance is one inch lower than 
the back. In the lower figure the 
wedge is on its side. 
