620 
MOVING BEES 
Under way. 
slipped into the cord and given a half¬ 
twist in such a way as to draw the loop up 
very tight. 
But by far the most satisfactory plan, 
certainly the safest, and one the authors 
adopt in their moving, is that of using a 
special staple (obtained at the hive fac¬ 
tories) shown in the accompanying illus¬ 
trations. One leg of the staple is driven 
into the bottom-board, and the other into 
the hive-body. Two staples on each side 
will be sufficient to hold the bottom-board. 
The cover is' fastened in the same way. 
The staples are very easily removed with a 
screwdriver at least a foot long, if they are 
not driven down too tight. The tool is 
shoved under one side, close to a leg of the 
staple, and given a quarter twist; then 
it is moved over to the other side, and 
twisted again. When the staple is raised 
high enough so the screwdriver can get 
under and give it a good pry it can be 
easily removed. 
PREVENTING BEES FROM SMOTHERING. 
In the early part of the season, in the 
spring or fall, or any time when the 
weather is cool, it is not necessary to have 
any more ventilation than will be secured 
with an ordinary entrance covered with 
wire cloth. As the weather warms up, ad¬ 
ditional air will have to be provided. Some¬ 
times this can be secured by taking pieces 
of section stuff Vs inch thick, and placing- 
one at each of the four corners between 
the hive and cover. The latter should be 
secured by ropes or staples, as previously 
shown. This makes a crack all around Vs 
inch wide, but not quite wide enough to let 
bees thru. 
A far safer and better arrangement is to 
use wire screen in place of the cover. A 
wooden frame IV2 or 2 inches deep should 
be made of % lumber, the same length and 
width as the hive. A piece of wire cloth 
large enough to cover it is tacked on, and 
over the marginal edges are nailed strips 
of wood %' inch wide and V2 of an inch 
thick. The purpose of the Vsninch strip is 
twofold—to help hold the wire cloth in 
place and raise the next hive that may 
be piled on top crosswise at least one-lialf 
inch above the ivire cloth. 
The screen frame is held on by the use 
of crate staples as shown below on this 
^ 
Removing the staples. 
page. They are quickly applied, and easily 
removed with a screwdriver. It is always 
advisable to use wire screens in moving 
bees during hot weather. It is hardly safe 
to depend on the ventilation at the en- 
