Given a hive full of combs and bees, and an empty one
into which the bees are to be driven. After the full hive
has got a few pufis of smoke, it is turned upside down,
the empty one placed on it, mouth to mouth, and a table-
cloth is tied round the junction of the two hives to pre-
vent the escape of a single bee, The drumming or driv-
ing now commences, simply by beating the bottom hive
with open hands, This beating confounds the bees and
makes them run upwards. In running up into the empty
hive the bees make a great noise as in swarming, and this
noise facilitates the work in hand. In hot weather all
the bees, or almost all, may be thus driven out of a large
hive in twenty minutes. The drumming should be con-
tinued the whole time, for if the bees have time given them
to think, they will cease running up, the noise will abate,
and those that are below will cleave to the brood-combs
to keep them warm. In driving bees the work should
be done quickly, allowing no time for play or palaver.
