MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 217Q. I want to take a few swarms with me to Minnesota aboutJuly 30. The car will likely be on the road about a week. Howshall I prepare the bees for shipment? (Illinois.)A. The frames in your hives must be fastened so they cannotmove about, although that is not necessary if you have frameswith fixed distance, as you probably have. If the entrances toyour hives are two inches deep, closing them with wire-cloth maygive all the needed ventilation. Otherwise better have the entiretop covered with wire-cloth by means of a frame an inch or twodeep. With only a few hives, you can have each one on the floor,kept in place by cleats nailed onto the floor. If the weather isvery hot, sprinkle the bees with water every little while.Q. How about fixing bees in the hives to be s'hipped 1,500miles by rail? How shall I go about it to do a good job, so therewill be no bees getting out, and how should they sit in the carlengthwise?A. To make a good job of it is something of an undertaking,In brief, you will use wire-cloth for ventilation, having the entranceclosed with it, and having a frame the size of the top ofthe hive covered with wire-cloth, which frame you will fastenupon the top of the hive with four wood-screws. You will put thehives in the car with the frames running in the same direction asthe rails of the railroad, nailing strips on the bottom of the carso the lower tier of hives cannot shake about. You must not setthe upper tiers of hives piled up directly upon one another, forthat would stop ventilation; but over the lower tiers you willput 2x2 or 2x4 scantling, running across the car, on which to restthe upper tiers, thus leaving a space for ventilation. You willprobably use a cattle-car, which favors ventilation; and you willsee to it that you can get at all the hives to spray the bees withwater when they become excited and heated.'Shipping-Cases.—Q. DoA. No.you get shipping-cases returned?Shipping Comb Honey.—Q. I write for a little information inregard to shipping honey to Chicago, or other large cities. Is itnecessary to enclose the shipping cases in extra strong boxes, orwill they stand the rough handling without extra casing?A. If section honey is sent in shipping-cases without anyoutside protection there is danger that it may not go safely. Noneed to put the cases in heavy boxes that are close. Crates, orcarriers, as they are called, should be used, which are more or less