BUYING BEES 27 



Buying Bees. — It is usually best to buy the bees within easy 

 reach of the place where they are to remain if possible. The 

 expense of shipping long distances with the consequent danger of 

 mishap and loss are thus eliminated. 



As a rule, unless one is willing to pay a fancy price, he need 

 not pay much attention to the kind of bees, providing tlie colony 

 is a strong one. The best way to improve the stock is to buy 

 a queen from some reliable breeder, and after killing the old 

 queen and leaving the colony queenless two or three days, intro- 

 duce the new one, following the directions that accompany her. 



In buying one should pay according to the condition of the 

 colony. If the bees be common stock, in box hives, the price 

 should not be high, as it will be necessary to add the further 

 expense of a suitable hive and the labor of transferring, which 

 is never an agreeable task. If the bees be in a good hive, on 

 straight combs in good condition, the price may then be much 

 higher, for they are ready for business when the honey flow 

 begins. It too often happens that bees for sale in good hives have 

 received no attention, with the result that the combs are built 

 crosswise, making it impossible for the operator to get into the 

 brood nest without disastrous results. Such colonies will also 

 have to be transferred, which will add considerable to the cost. 



In order to conduct bee-keej^ing profitably, it is necessary to 

 have every comb in every hive so that it can be easily removed 

 for the purpose of examination or exchange. It frequently hap- 

 pens that for one reason or another the bee-keeper must take 

 combs of honey or brood from one colony to add to another, or he 

 must examine the interior to ascertain the condition of the colony. 

 Successful honey production is absolutely impossible unless con- 

 ditions are such that the bee-keeper can reach the farthermost 

 corner of the hive when necessary. 



A colony of pure Italian bees, on straight combs, wired 

 frames, in good ten-frame hives without too much drone comb, 

 is cheaper at eight or ten dollars than a common colony in a box 

 hive at a dollar. Especially is this tnie in the spring of the year, 



