Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-17
Progressive Transferring.

| was little surprised at reading
two articles i'll the last issue, from two
of our leading correspondents, both
giving directions for transferring bees,
the same as has been given over and
over again, in bee books and papers
for the past % years.
Have we not progressed any? Is
there no better method of getting colo
MES out of rejected hives, into those of
our choice? | think there is
Mr.. Hutchinson says: Pry off the
side of the hive, cutting the nails if
necessary" Now, | would not do this
at all, ill the bees brood were out of it.
but whenever | did do it, / would do
so this way The grain of the boards
Yearly always runs up and down, and
all you havt to do is TO split of about
one inoh of each of the side boards
taking away the part that the
nails go through, and if the
combs are previously loosened,
the one side will nearly fall
down. You can, on this plan, cut out
the corner of most any box hive, and
then cut the combs from the sides of
the hive, and split these sides up into
klndhng wood rs you go along, which
gives you free access to the combs rs
you advance, 1t is SO much easier,
quicker and quietcr II process than to
pry or cut the nail.
But ] do not want any combs that
have been fastened into the frames by
the use of thorn, rubbers, sticks,
wires" etc. l have transferred many
hundred colonies, and have bought
quite number transferred by others
(among them some of our most sue
cessful and skillful apiarists). have
examined transferred colonies in other
apiaries where was visiting, and i
Will tell you again, that | do not want
any transferred combs in my yard.
True, once in a while we meet with
n comb that is in perfect shape to fill
our frame with choice, all worker cells,
but such are the exceptions 10 the rule.
| believe that, on an average, trans
| ferred combs are NJ much behind those
naturally built in empty V guided
frames. rs these latter are behind those
drawn from worker foundation, in full
sheets and on wires.
When | transfer, | put of these
wired frames Of foundation into my
Langsworth hive, and with said hive
and drum box and smoker in hand, |
approach the "old gum and drive n
prime swarm aud the queen into this
hive, which is n hive of beautiful
combs As hours later.
After Il days, the worker brood is
Matched and new queen just begun
to lay IN the old gum. Now / can
drive again, into another just such
hive, or ! can unite with my first
drive, plllng up the surplus soon, AZ |
please, whether | desire increase or
not. In either case the forced uucan
reared in the depleted gum" should
be killed, and If increase Is the order
of the day, new queen from some
other source is substituted ior the sec.
ond drive. Then is the time to do your
splitting open Of the cold gum" and
you have some first class kindling
wood, mic" lot of extracted honey
after you empty the old combs) and
some comb to melt up into wax for
more comb foundation.
Once try this plan, and you will see
here, too, that new inventions suggest
new and improved methods. Pure
comb foundation, always u great boon,
and now staple, not only aids the
bees in supplying their costliest sub
stsnce, but it aids the bee-keeper in
getting his combs straight, and more Of
them, in less time, getting his surplus
combs perfect, controlling the blood of
his drones, and consequently queens
and workers, besides revolutionizing
the process Of transferring. JAMES
.iEDDoN, an Am. Bee Journal.