402 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



with an insect whose activity has been a subject of absorbing study 

 from the earliest times. It has the advantage of being a recreation 

 which pays its own way and often produces no mean profit. 



It is a mistake, however, to paint only the bright side of the pic- 

 ture and leave it to the new bee keeper to discover that there is often 

 another side. Where any financial profit is derived, bee keeping 

 requires hard work and work at just the proper time, otherwise the 

 surplus of honey may be diminished or lost. Few lines of work 

 require more study to insure success. In years when the available 

 nectar is limited, surplus honey is secured only by judicious manipu- 

 lations and it is only through considerable experience and often by 

 expensive reverses that the bee keeper is able to manipulate properly 

 to save his crop. Anyone can produce honey in seasons of plenty, 

 but these do not come every year in most locations and it takes a 

 good bee keeper to make the most of poor years. When, even with 

 the best of manipulations, the crop is a failure through lack of nec- 

 tar, the bees must be fed to keep them from starvation. 



Location of the Apiary. The location of the hives is a matter 

 of considerable importance. As a rule it is better for hives to face 

 away from the prevailing wind and to be protected from high 

 winds. In the North, a south slope is desirable. It is advisable 

 for hives to be so placed that the sun will strike them early in the 

 morning, so that the bees become active early in the day, and thus 

 gain an advantage by getting the first supply of nectar. It is also 

 advantageous to have the hives shaded during the hottest part of the 

 day, so that the bees w r ill not hang out in front of the hive instead of 

 working. They should be so placed that the bees will not prove 

 a nuisance to passers-by or disturb livestock. This latter precaution 

 may save the bee keeper considerable trouble, for bees sometimes 

 prove dangerous, especially to horses. 



The plot on which the hives are placed should be kept free 

 from weeds, especially in front of the entrances. The hives should 

 be far enough apart to permit of free manipulation. If hives are 

 too close together there is danger of bees entering the wrong hive 

 on returning, especially in the spring. 



These conditions, w r hich may be considered as ideal, need not 

 all be followed. When necessary bees may be kept on house tops, 

 in the back part of city lots, in the woods, or in many other places 

 where the ideal conditions are not found. As a matter of fact, few 

 apiaries are perfectly located; nevertheless, the location should be 

 carefully planned, especially when a large number of colonies are 

 kept primarily for profit. 



As a rule, it is not considered best to keep more than 100 col- 

 onies in one apiary, and apiaries should be at least 2 miles apart. 

 There are so many factors to be considered, however, that no general 

 rule can be laid down. The only way to learn how many colonies 

 any given locality will sustain is to study the honey flora and the 

 record of that place until the bee keeper can decide for himself the 

 best number to be kept and where they shall be placed. 



