CHAPTER VII.TO TRANSFER BEES.
As you may have purchased your bees in box hives, and so, of course, will desire to transfer them immediately into movable-frame hives, or, as already suggested, you may wish to transfer from one movable-frame to another, I will now proceed to describe the process.
The best time to transfer is early in the season, when there is but little honey in the hives, though it may be done at any time, if sufficient caution is used: still it should never be done except on warm days, when the bees are actively engaged in storing. After the bees are busy at work, approach the old hive, blow a little smoke into the entrance to quiet the bees, then carry the hive off a few feet, and turn it bottom up. Place a box over the hive—it will make no difference whether it fits it close or not, if the bees are so smoked as to be thoroughly alarmed—and with a stick rap on the lower hive for about twenty minutes. The bees will fill with honey and go with the queen into the upper hive and cluster. If towards the last we carefully set the box off once or twice, and vigorously shake the hive, and then replace the box, we will hasten the emigration of the bees, and make it more complete. I got this suggestion from Mr. Baldridge. A few young bees will still remain in the old hive, but these will do no harm. Now put the box on the old stand, leaving the edge raised so that the bees which were out may enter, and so all the bees can get air. If other bees do not trouble, as they usually will not if busily gathering, we can proceed in the open air. If they do we must go into some room. I have frequently transferred the comb in my kitchen, and often in a barn. Now knock the old hive apart, cut the combs from the sides, and get the combs out of the old hive with just as little breakage as possible. Mr. Baldridge, if transferring inspring, saws the combs and cross-sticks loose from the sides, turns the hive into the natural position, then strikes against the top of the hive with a hammer till the fastenings are broken loose, when he lifts the hive, and the combs are all free and in convenient shape for rapid work.
We now need a barrel, set on end, on which we place a board fifteen to twenty inches square, covered with several thicknesses of cloth. Some apiarists think the cloth useless, but it serves, I think, to prevent injury to comb, brood or honey. We now place a comb on this cloth, and a frame on the comb, and cut out the comb the size of the inside of the frame, taking pains to save all the brood. Now crowd the frame over the comb, so that the latter will be in the same position that it was when in the old hive; that is, so the honey will be above—the position is not very important—then fasten the comb in the frame, by winding about all one or two small wires or pieces of wrapping twine. To raise the frame and comb before fastening, raise the board beneath till the frame is vertical. Set this frame in the new hive, and proceed with the others in the same way till we have all the worker-comb—that with small cells—fastened in. To secure the pieces, which we shall find abundant at the end, take thin pieces of wood, one-half inch wide and a trifle longer than the frame is deep, place these in pairs either side the comb, extending up and down, and enough to hold the pieces secure till the bees shall fasten them, and secure the strips by winding with small wire, just above and below the frame, or else tack them to the frame with small tacks.
Captain Hetherington has invented and practices a very neat method of fastening comb into frames. In constructing his frames, he bores small holes through the top, side, and bottom-bars of his frames, about two inches apart; these holes are just large enough to permit the passage of the long spines of the hawthorn. Now, in transferring comb, he has but to stick these thorns through into the comb to hold it securely. He can also use all the pieces, and still make a neat and secure frame of comb. He finds this arrangement convenient, too, in strengthening insecure combs. In answer to my inquiry, this gentleman said it paid well to bore such holes in all his frames, which are eleven by sixteen inches,inside measure. I discarded such frames because of the liability of the comb to fall out.
Mr. Baldridge makes wads of comb, or comb-cappings, which he finds good, and by pressing these against the edges of the comb he wishes to fasten, he fastens them to the frames, quickly and securely.
Having fastened all the worker-comb that we can into the frames—of course all the other, and all bright drone-comb, will be preserved for use as guide-comb—and placed the frames in the new hive—these should be put together if they contain brood, especially if the colony is not very strong, and the empty frames to one side—we then place our hive on the stand, pushing it forward so that the bees can enter anywhere along the alighting-board, and then shake all the bees from the box, and any young bees that may have clustered on any part of the old hive, or on the floor or ground, where we transferred the comb, immediately in front. They will enter at once and soon be at work, all the busier for having passed "from the old house into the new." In two or three days, remove the wires or strings and sticks, when we shall find the combs all fastened and smoothed off, and the bees as busily engaged as though their present home had always been the seat of their labors. In case we practice the methods of either Captain Hetherington or Mr. Baldridge, there will be nothing to remove, and we need only go and congratulate the bees in view of their new and improved home.
Of course, in transferring from one frame to another, the matter is much simplified. In this case, after thoroughly smoking the bees, we have but to lift the frames, and shake or brush the bees into the new hive. For a brush, a chicken or turkey wing, or a large wing or tail feather from a turkey, goose or peacock, serves admirably. Now, cut out the comb in the best form to accommodate the new frames, and fasten as already suggested. After the combs are all transferred, shake all remaining bees in front of the new hive, which has already been placed on the stand previously occupied by the old hive.