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The best time for this method is early in the season, when there is but little honey and brood in the hive, and always on a warm day, if possible, when the bees are busily engaged in gathering honey. When fruit trees are in bloom is as good a time as any, although I have transferred in October with splendid success, but don't attempt it late in the season unless you understand the business. Before commencing this operation, as many hives should be provided as there are colonies to be transferred. Get everything ready that may be needed. If the colony is in a box hive, the following will be needed: A hand-saw, a hammer, a chisel to cut nails, a sharp, thin knife (a pointed shoe or case knife is good), a board a few inches larger each way than the frame to be used, with one side covered with one or more thicknesses of 'flannel, a wing or a small brush broom, a small box without a top, a dish of water and a towel. In addition to these, something will be needed to hold the combs in place when fitted in the frames. The best things for this purpose can readily be made. Get some wire, about No. 14 is best, cut into pieces 11 inches long for the Langstroth frame. At 1/4 inch from one end bend to a right angle, at 7/8 of an inch from this angle bend the same way as the first to a right angle. At 9% inches from this second angle bend the same way to a right angle. The first two bends form a hook that is to be placed over the top bar of the frame, and the last bend makes a end that is to be pushed under the bottom of the frame after it is filled with comb. Prepare 6 or more for each frame that is to be filled. If the bees are at all disposed to rob, place what is to be used in some building or room where the bees can not enter. Now go to the hive to be transferred from and blow a little smoke in at the entrance. The object in smoking the bees is to frighten them, when they will fill themselves with honey, which puts them in the saine condition a cross, hungry person is after a good dinner good natured. It is said that a bee full of honey will not sting unless pinched in some way. Then move the hive to one side and set the new one without the frames in its place, and carry the old hive, bees and all, to where you have placed the things you are to use in transferring, and turn it bottom side up if it is a box hive. Place one edge of the small box, before spoken of, on one edge of the now turned-over hive. Either prop or hold up the opposite edge of the box and drum lightly on the hive with the hammer or a small stick, and you will soon see the bees going up into the box. In this way drive out all the bees that will will readily leave, keeping them subdued with smoke. When all or nearly all the bees are in the box, empty them out on the ground or sawdust in front of the new hive. Now run the saw down one or two sides of the hive on the inside, cutting the combs and cross sticks loose from the sides, choosing the sides from which the flat sides of the comb can be most readily got at. Then, with the chisel, cut off the nails and remove the two sides of the hive. Remove one or more of the combs, or as much as will fill one of the frames and lay on the cloth that has been fastened to the board as already directed. The cloth prevents injuring the sealed brood as the uncovered beard would do. Place one of the frames on this comb in such a way as to save as much of the brood as possible, and with a sharp, thin knife cut the comb to the size of the inside of the frame so it will fit snugly. Put on as many of the previously prepared wires as may be needed for the upper side. Then raise the board, comb and frame up edgewise, and turn the frame and its contents and lay the wire side down on the cloth and put wires on the now upper side, and it is ready to place in the new hive where the bees are. Proceed in the same manner till all the worker comb has been transferred, rejecting all drone comb, if there are other tees within two or three miles, and let your less careful neighbors raise the drones. Brush the remaining bees, if any, down in front of the new hive, The honey from the remaining pieces of comb can be extracted or fed back to the bees and the comb made into wax. |
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