HOW TO BEGIN BEE-KEEPING 13 



hesitatingly ordered Italians. These are much 

 more gentle and friendly than the others, and it is 

 one of our greatest pleasures to be on good terms 

 with our bee-folk. Under all ordinary circumstances 

 the Italian bees are not only tolerant of human 

 interference, but are sweet tempered and optimistic, 

 believing that we mean well by them; and one can- 

 not work with them without learning to love them. 



If one begins bee-keeping in the spring, some 

 money can be saved by buying a nucleus and tested 

 queen, instead of a full colony of bees. A nucleus 

 in bee-keeping parlance is a small colony with only 

 one, two, or three frames. The colony should be 

 large enough to build combs with sufficient rapidity 

 to keep the queen fairly busy, so as not to encourage 

 in her the habit of loafing, and so that too much tim^e 

 shall not be required to build up a full colony. Two 

 frames with about a quart of bees will accomplish 

 this well. 



Such a nucleus as this in a hive, with a division 

 board on either side of the two adjacent frames, 

 can be soon built up into a full colony if there is 

 plenty of nectar and pollen to be had. A division 

 board is a solid board of the shape of the frame, 

 but a little larger so that it is close-fitting in the 

 hive. The frame should be watched closely, and 

 as soon as the comb is filled with brood, and there 

 are enough bees to cover the brood well, another 

 frame filled with brood foundation should be added ; 

 this should be continued until the hive is filled with 

 frames. 



