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G L K A N I N G S IN BEE CULTURE 



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TALKS TO 



By the 



ILJr^ 



N the south - 

 e r n States 

 the begin- 

 ner who is able 

 to purchase col- 

 onies of bees lo- 

 cally has prob- 

 ably already 

 come into pos- 

 session of liis 



colonies and moved them home. When full 

 colonies are purchased locally they should 

 be moved early in the spring before they 

 become very populous and before -warm 

 weather, for there is less danger of injuring 

 them at that time. The bees should be 

 brought home not later than some time this 

 month in most parts of the South, and not 

 later than about the first of May in the 

 North. If the bees can not be purchased 

 locally and it becomes necessary to purchase 

 them from a distance thru a dealer, they 

 will, of course, not be shipped until later. 



The beekeeper from whom the colonies 

 are purchased should prepare them for 

 transportation by closing the entrance with 

 a wire screen and by fastening the bottom 

 and cover to the hive so no bees can escape. 

 The hives should be closed, either in the 

 evening after they have all returned from 

 the fields or during a day when it is too 

 cold or rainy for them to fly; otherwise 

 some of the "workers would be left behind 

 when the colony is moved away, and at this 

 season it is important that none be lost, for 

 these bees have the important responsibil- 

 ity of raising the great horde of workers 

 which should be ready to harvest a crop of 

 honey later when the flowers begin to yield 

 nectar in abundance. It has been estimated 

 that for each worker bee in the hive in the 

 early spring there should be at least five 

 young bees reared within less than two 

 inontlis. So the loss of one worker (at that 

 time) may mean a reduction of five work- 

 ers when' the real work of the season be- 

 gins. 



Location of the Hives. 



If the. bees are to be kept in a village or 

 city lot, there is usually an out-of-the-way 

 nook somewhere in the back yard or garden 

 which may be dedicated to the bees.' If on a 

 farm, the* bees can usually be located in a 

 corner of the orchard. The city dweller 

 may find it necessary to place his colonies in 

 the attic of his dwelling, which can be done 

 by providing an opening in the siding thru 

 which the bees may pass from the entrance 

 of the hive. 



While the hives may be located near a 

 path or near the back door usually without 

 the bees molesting persons passing by, it is 

 much better to locate them some distance 

 away where there is less chance of trouble. 

 In this connection it should be mentioned 

 that some strains of bees are much more 

 inclined to sting than others, and those who 

 keep bees on small lots in villages and cities 

 where they may molest the neighbors should, 



BEGINNERS 



Editor 



1 



March, 1921 



if possible, keep 

 only a gentle 

 strain of Italian 

 bees. 



Wherever the 

 bees are located 

 the hives should 

 be sheltered 

 from cold winds 

 by a fence, 

 bushes, buildings, or any kind of protection 

 that may be available. While a shady nook 

 may be advantageous during the heat of the 

 day, the hives should not be located where 

 they will be in the shade throut the entire 

 day. It is usually better to have the hives 

 in the full sunshine during the spring, and 

 when shade is needed later they can be cov- 

 ered with wide boards to protect them from 

 the hot sun. i ^^ 



Most beekeepers prefer to have the en- 

 trances of the hives either toward the south, 

 southeast, or east; but if well protected 

 from cold winds, this is not essential. A 

 southern or southeastern slope is better than 

 a northern or western slope for the location 

 of an apiary. 1^ 



The hives maj^ be placed upon four bricks, 

 wooden blocks, or upon the regular hive 

 stands made by nailing together four nar- 

 row boards to form a rim from three to six 

 inches high. This is to raise the floor of the 

 liive off the ground to keeiJ it dry. The 

 hives should be level from side to side, or 

 crosswise of the combs, but should be 

 tipped slightly forward to prevent water 

 from standing on the floor after a driving 

 rain. i ! ^!H 



As soon as the bees are brought home 

 and the hives are located where they are 

 to remain permanently the screen which 

 closes the entrance should be removed. The 

 beginner may think, since the bees have 

 been moved home during the night or on 

 a day too cold for them to fly, that the en- 

 trance need not be opened until the next 

 day, but it will be better to do this as soon 

 as possible. | skI^IH 



How Many Colonies for Beginners? 

 The advice usually given to beginners is 

 to start with one or two* colonies and build 

 up the number as experience is acquired. 

 The reason for this is that it takes time to 

 learn the trick of handling the bees and 

 also to work out a system of management 

 best suited to the jjarticular locality. While 

 much can be learned from a season's man- 

 agement of a single colony, two or three 

 colonies would be better; and there is no 

 leason why the ambitious beginner should 

 not start with a dozen or more colonies, if 

 he has plenty of enthusiasm and a little 

 time to devote to the bees. 



The Modern Beehive and Its Parts. 

 There are so many things which the be- 

 ginner should be told on these pages before 

 June that it would be folly to use precious 

 space here to describe and illustrate the 

 modern beehive, when this has already been 



