The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-11-26
Bee-Keeping in Florida.
NO. III.
TRANSFERRING.

TRANSFERRING.
We have now got the bees in log
gums and boxes and want them in
our nice frame hives.
The best time to transfer is in the
spring when the fruit blossoms are
out, as they are less inclined to rob
each other wien there is plenty of
honey to be had from the flowers.
With little experience you will
do it in this section at any time with.
out trouble. First provide yourself
with long, thin knife, a large pan
for the honey, a hatchet and chisel,
and, by all means, good smoker.
Smoke the bees thoroughly in the
gum you.wish to transfer, wait few
minutes to give them time to ill
themselves with honey which they
will always do when alarmed, then
smoke them little more. Take the
gum off of the stand and turn it bot.
tom up. Put'an empty gum or box
where it stood for the bees that were
on the wing to 90 into. Smoke the
bees down and convey the gum to
convenient shade. Start the top up
a little and puff in some smoke, then
run the knife in to separate the combs
from the top. Lay the gum down
on bench or box so the combs will
run up and down when it lies on its
side with the top end next to you.
| Put something under the gum at the
i bottom end, 50 sas to raise that up
enough so that if the honey runs it
will run toward you. Knock the top
off and smoke the bees down. Have
small box with stick across it in
side, for the bees to cling to.-put it
close to the bottom OF the gum with
the edge next the gum raised little,
an inch or two Smoke the bees out
Of the way and cut out the honey
and comb until you come down to
the brood, still driving the bees from
you with the smoke. Now split the
gum open the same way the combs
are built. Take out the combs and
brush the bees off from the bottom
Of the comb with small wing down
by the last at the bottom OF the gum.
Continue in that way until you have
the comb all out. If the bees are in
clined to bunch up or cluster drive
them toward the box with smoke and
wing. Brush all the bees off the old
gum and throw it on the wood pile.
Have some frames ready with the
\ guides taken out. Cut thee ombs as
near as you can to fit snug. 1t makes
no difference which side up the brood
combs go-put them the way they
fit the best. Have some hooks made
of small wire, number s, bent at each
end so as to hook over the top and
bott ON end OF the frame, and slip
them on, or some narrow strips of
wood,-l split them out OF low pal
metto stems-which you can tack on
each side of the frame, or let the
ends run below and above and tie
them with small swine. Save all the
worker comb with either eggs or
brood in it, and if the swarm is strong
or even if it is empty that you can
get in your frames straight out. Put
in no drone comb anless it contains
honey and there is not enough honey
in the worker comb-the cells Of the
drone comb are a great deal longer
than the worker cells.
They should have, at least, one
frame of honey to fall back on in an
emergency. Place the frames in the
hive with the brood in the center OF
the frames you have filled. Put the
hive on its bottom board and set it
on the ground, with. an old newspa-
per in front. If it has loose bottom
raise it up on the side the entrance is
in, little, and shake the bees that
have clustered in the box down in
front of it. Direct item to the en-.