TRANSFERRING BEES.
AS some of my readers may have bees in ordinary hives, which they would
like to transfer to the Controllable Hive, I will devote a chapter to
Transferring.
If you have bees in a box or patent hive, or any of the thousand and
one bee hive humbugs, which are of little or no profit, and cause you
much trouble and perplexity in swarming time, and frequent and heavy
losses in winter, you can move them into Controllable Hives--comb,
honey and bees together--and manage them on the plan here recommended,
and they will winter well, come out strong and healthy in the spring,
and cause comparatively no trouble in swarming time, yielding you a
good profit yearly.
The best time to transfer is as early in spring as the weather becomes
warm enough to keep the bees active every day, which in the New England
States is usually in April. It is a good time to transfer about
twenty-four days after the first swarm issues from a stock as at that
time there is but little brood, and usually but few bees. October is
a very good time to transfer, but not as good as either of the times
before mentioned. Great care is required to prevent robbing, and also
to have the comb frames all filled with combs, and in good position for
the bees to winter. As cold weather is so close at hand, the bees will
have but little time to arrange for winter.
For transferring, construct the Controllable Hive as directed, with
exception of the comb frames. Make several holes one-fourth inch in
diameter through the top, bottom and ends of frames, and a like number
of sharp wooden pins about two inches long to fit these holes.
Early in the morning before the bees begin to fly, prepare your smoker,
go to the hive you propose to transfer, and before you touch it, smoke
the bees at the entrances moderately, giving them two or three puffs,
waiting about a minute and giving them two or three more. Then stop
the entrances, so no bees can escape. Take the hive from the stand and
carry it to some out-building, so the bees from the other hives will
not trouble you, and get a taste of the honey thereby inciting them
to robbery. Turn the hive bottom up, and with two sticks each about a
half-inch in diameter and twelve inches long, strike the hive lightly
half a dozen times, and then wait for two or three minutes. Then with
the sticks on each side of the hive, drum briskly (but lightly so as
not to break the comb,) for about five minutes. Then puff smoke under
the bottom board on all sides. Much of this preliminary work is for the
purpose of confusing the bees, and inducing them to fill themselves
with honey from the cells of the hive, as a bee gorged with honey will
never volunteer an attack for the purpose of stinging. The bees are
now ready to be transferred. You will need some one to assist you, and
it will be necessary for you to put on your articles of protection, and
keep your smoker in readiness for use, as occasionally a swarm is hard
to subdue, though the great majority of them are perfectly docile after
the treatment recommended. But we are to "beard the lion in his den,"
and to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
The bees usually manifest their submission by a loud humming noise.
If after you commence operations (before you get the side of the hive
off) they show a disposition to be cross, replace the bottom board,
close the entrances, if open, and give the insects a good smoking, at
the entrances, and by raising the bottom board enough to introduce
the smoke; give them the smoke freely for several minutes. Then again
remove the bottom board. (These directions apply to the common box
hive. If hives of a different pattern are operated upon, vary the
operation to conform to the requirements of the case, applying the same
principles.) Then with a chisel and hammer remove one side of the hive
(the side to which the bees have attached the least comb,) and with a
thin, sharp table-knife, cut the edges of the comb from the sides of
the hive. It is well to have a table or stand near by, with a cloth
folded in several thicknesses, on which to lay the sheets of comb with
the bees adhering, if necessary. The cloth prevents crushing. Cut out
a comb from the hive with the bees adhering, and cut off the edges, if
required, so it will fit the new frame closely at the top and bottom.
No matter if it does not go the whole length of the frame from front
to rear, as the bees will finish it.[11] Have the comb occupy the same
position, relatively, in the new hive, that it did in the old. When the
comb is in place in the frame, secure it by putting the wooden pins
through the holes in the frames into the combs, and having fastened it
firmly in place by means of the pins, place it in the Controllable Hive
in its proper position.
[Footnote 11: But very few hives are large enough for their combs to
fill the moveable comb frames of the Controllable Hive.]
Thus proceed, till all of the frames of the Controllable Hive are
filled, or the comb in the old hive is exhausted. In transferring, very
old, black combs should be discarded, even if you do not have your
new hive more than half full. Get all the bees, if possible, in the
new hive, and when you set it on the stand, close the lower entrance
entirely, and let the upper one remain only one-half open, for a few
days, until the bees get well located in their new home. Be careful not
to crush any of the bees, and take special care not to injure the queen.
As you will probably complete the operation of transferring at about
the time that bees will be flying briskly about the other hives, it
will be better to put wire cloth over the entrances, to confine the
bees you have transferred, and let them remain in the out-building
until about an hour before sunset; then set them on the stand and give
them their liberty. Keeping them shut up for the time named, gives them
a chance to take up the honey which runs from the transferred combs,
and which might, if the bees were carried immediately to the stand,
incite robbing.
Transferring is by no means so formidable an operation as at first
appears. I have transferred a very large number of swarms from the
old box hives, without protection for hands or face, and now the bees
seldom show any disposition to sting. Yet I would advise beginners to
protect themselves, until by practice they become familiar with the
work.[12] "Practice makes perfect" is an old and true saying, and it
applies to all operations with bees, I assure you. In my first attempts
at this work I thought I must be protected, and I would not for the
world proceed without a protector, and that of the most invulnerable
kind. Now, having had much practice, I feel no necessity for any
covering whatever. I trust I have made my method of transferring
perfectly plain, so that all who wish may avail themselves of its
advantages.
[Footnote 12: To protect the hands use thick woolen mittens. To such
as wish, I will furnish a veil, so constructed as to protect face and
neck, price one dollar by mail. When thus protected the most timid can
proceed with any work required among the bees without fear of stings.]