Tom Speight wrote:

> Bees can be *driven* out by turning the skep upside down, placing
> another empty skep above just touching at one point (like an open
> mouth), keeping them fastened with *irons* (quarter inch dia wire bent
> over at each end and sharpened to pentrate the straw - about 6 inches
> between bends). Drum on the side of the lower skep. The bees will march
> from one to the other, like watching a swarm enter a hive.

Have you seen them actually do this?  The swarm analogy doesn't make sense to
me in this case because here we have an intact colony with brood.  In my
experience with bees (although I admit no experience with skeps), bees will not
abandon brood.  Why would they do that in this set up?

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA