The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-05-24
Transferring Bees.

By transferring bees is meant, re-
moving them from the box hives, or log
gums and putting them into movable
frame hives, or maybe changing them
from one style of frame into one of
different shape or size. If the work be
done at the right time and in the proper
manner, it is not much of task, al
though to the beginner it may seem
quite job. During the fruit bloom is
the very best time in which to do this
kind of work, as at this season of the
wear the hives contain but little honey.
New honey coming in stimulates the
bees to extra work causing them to re-
pair the mutilated combs in much
shorter time than usual, consequently
requiring much less work in fastening
the combs into the frames. There are
many different ways of doing this. One
of these is to make holes through the
frame with an anvil; then push thorns or
sticks through these holes into the
combs. Some use sticks which reach
across the frames and are fastened to
each end with wire or strings; others
again simply use string to tie the combs
in. This latter plan does admirably
during fruit bloom, but if used during a
time when no honey is coming in, the
bees will probably eat off the strings
before the combs become sufficiently
repaired to stay in the frames. The
most important feature about the work
is to have everything in readiness before
commencing. One will need hammer,
a saw, a chisel, a small broom with
which to brush the bees off the combs,
a smoker, water and cloth with which
to keep all the honey washed up clean.
The work can be done out of doors,
but if at all convenient it is safer
to work inside, out of reach of
robber bees. After you have got
everything in readiness, get your
smoker to go nicely, blow a little
smoke into the entrance, wait few
minutes for the bees to fill themselves
with honey, then move the hive back
few feet and turn it bottom side up;
give little more smoke and drive the
bees down among the combs. Now if
you wish to drive the bees out, and
think it is the better plan, you will need
} box in which to drive them. This
should be one that would partially fit
the bottom of the old hive, at least have
one corner and two sides fit so that the
bees can crawl up nicely. After your
driving box is in place pound on the
hive until the bees begin going up into
the box; keep this up at intervals until
most of the bees have gone into the
upper box, after which set it off out of
the way and cover with cloth, or it
may be set on the old stand to catch
all returning bees. Move the old hive
to where you are going to do the work
and take off one side parallel with the
combs, after cutting them loose. If
the first two or three combs do not con-
tain brood lay them aside until you
come to one which does. Lay this on a
table or board. Lay frame over this
so as not to destroy any more brood
than can be helped and cut to tit, cut
ting from the inside of the frame but to
make a close fit. If the comb is not
large enough to fill the frame fill out
with the combs first removed, but leaving
out all drone combs. AS fast rs the combs
are fastened into the new frames set them
in the hive and proceed until all are re-
moved. The combs should be placed in
the same relative position that they oc-
cupied in the old one, that is, so all the
brood will come together, or the bees
; may not be able to cover it. If there
is not sufficient comb to fill the frames
in the new hive, close up the extra
, space with division board. Cover up
nice and warm and carry the hive to
the stand you wish it to occupy
Empty the bees out of the driving boz
down in front of the hive and let them
all 60 in, after which adjust the en-
trance blocks to assist them in keeping
} out all intruders. II the weather be
nice and honey coming in, some of the
strings or sticks may be removed in a
day or two. While doing the work
other things will suggest themselves.
such as to keep a lookout for the queen,
brushing the bees from the combs as
you cut them out, etc.-Ildidna Farmer.
: "A man recently died in San Fran