The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-10
Transferring Bees.


the dropping of fruit and red bud
blossoms. While | think it is best
to transfer when fruit trees are in
bloom and the bees working brisk
ly, yet | would not hesitate to
transfer any time before September
when honey is coming in pretty
freely. | wish to transfer just be-
fore, or in the midst Of a flow of
honey, so that the bees may recruit
as rapidly as possible and get upon
paying foundation. By being
very careful colony of bees can
be transferred from a box hive to a
movable comb hive and left in as
good condition as to honey and
brood as they were in before. As
it pleases me very much to see a
neat job of any kind of work
especially about the apiary, will
try to tell just how to do that kind
of job now; and hope those who
write to me will tell how they sue
ceed in doing nice, neat work; how
far they followed my instructions
and in what respect they did not,
&c. In fact, | would like to have
little talk, even though il must
be brief and on paper, with every
one who takes an interest in the
ways Of the honey bees; and if you
are interested in any special branch
of our subject not of sufficient gen
eral Importance to admit of publ
cation I will be glad to exchange
ideas privately, but if yours shall
prove better than mine [ don't
promise to give any boot.
In transferring you need a hams
mer, something for cutting or draw
ing nails, a saw to cut the cross
sticks, long knife for cutting out
comb, and a basin of water to wash
the honey from your hands and
tools. You also need a smoker, but
If one can not be had use hard twist
or a bunch of cotton rags, from
which you can blow the smoke.
If there are other hives near you
had better carry your hive into a
room of some description, as expos
ing the honey so long out of doors
would likely create robbing, and
stings would be the result, besides
other mischief among the bees.
If you are but little experienced
in handling bees you want just as
few among the combs to be taken
out as possible. Therefore blow a
quantity of smoke into your old
hive SO it will ascend among the
bees, and after a slight humming is
commenced pick up your hive and
set it few feet away with the top
end down. If the old hive has a
bottom board pry it off and set in
its place a box as near the right
size to fit on the old hive as you
can get for the bees to cluster in
Now pry off the top sufficiently to
allow plenty of smoke to be blown
in, which will soon start the bees
up into the empty box. Do not
smoke them too much at once but
after the first few puffs take your
hammer or a stick and rap gently
on all sides of the hive. They will
soon start like sheep, and by their
great humming you may know they
are going. Continue the smoke
and rapping until most of them are
clustered in your box, then lift il
off gently and place it on the spot
from which you took the old hive
with the open side down. Put corr
cob under one edge to let in air and
bees returning from the fields.
! Garry your old hive to where
you wish to do your work. Ipre'
fer to work out of doors generally
though for reasons given above i
honey is not coming in rapidly anC
this is your first experience yor
would better take the first lessor
within doors.
Cut or draw the nails on one side
of your hive, and pry the side of
just enough to allow the entrance
of knife blade and saw, with which
cut all combs loose and saw thu
cross sticks, when the sides can b,
removed IF necessary remove an
other side and carefully cut al
combs and lay them on table o.
board. Use smoke to keep the few
bees which have remained out 0
your way. When the last comb i
removed the bees should be clus
tered on the pieces of the old hiv,
and can be shaken off in from
of the box of bees left outside. l
many persist in clustering on tn
combs as you cut them loose, carry
them out and brush or shake then
off. All comb fit for use and espe
cially that containing young bee
and eggs should be fastened int
the frames and placed in the new
hive. To do this lay the comb OF
a board larger than the frame anc
= place the frame on the comb AM
cut it so as to fit the frame. If thu
comb be cut so large that the frame
must be sprung slightly to pas
over it so much the better. Nov
set your frame of comb on its edg
! by raising the board and all up to
gether. If the comb fits tight,
enough it can be hung in the hiv
without any fastening. Otherwls
tie two or more strans of wrappin!
Irvine around it so as TO hold it il
place until the bees can wax tn
comb securely, which they will d
in a day or two, when the twin
can be cut and pulled out. Th
bees will remove tho twin
themselves, though it consume
} their valuable time and is Difficult
work for them. 1t makes no dill
4 ference if the combs do not hang il
the new hive the same as they di,
in the old one-turn them any wa