c 



TALKS TO 



Geo. S. 



lur 



tliiiiijs to look for in 

 colonies tluit are for 



March, 19-^-j 



BEGTNNKKS 

 who have not 

 yet seeured 

 their bees should 

 read carefully 

 the "Talks" in 

 the February is 

 sue concerning 

 the various ways 

 of obtaining- a 

 stai't in l)ees and the 

 judging the \Mlue of 

 sale. 



In the extreme South beginners should 

 have their colonies now. In the middle lati- 

 tudes the bees should be secured before 

 April 1, and in the far Nortli it is well to 

 do this before May 1. Of course, bees can 

 be purchased and moved liome any time dur- 

 ing the spring or summer; but it is better 

 to have possession of the colonies some time 

 before the main honey How (see Talks in 

 last issue) if possible, for there is much that 

 can be learned in handling the bees early in 

 the spring, and proper care of the bees dur- 

 ing the month or six weeks just preceding 

 the honey flow is extremely important. 

 Whether north or south the bees can be 

 brought home at any time uoav. Even in 

 the North, colonies that are in good condi- 

 tion now are fairly safe, so far as the win- 

 ter is concerned. 



To move the bees home, close the hive en- 

 trance with a piece of wire screen, so no 

 bees can get out; and fasten the hive parts 

 (body, cover and bottom) together by nail- 

 ing on pieces of lath. The entrance should 

 be closed when the bees are not flying either 

 on a cool day or in the evening, so no bees 

 will be lost, and as soon as the hive is pla<-ed 

 in its new location the entrance should be 

 ()j)eiied. 



Where to Locate the Bees. 



The hives should be placed in a sheltered 

 nook where they Avill Hot be exposed to coll 

 winds, but they should not be in a dense 

 shade. They should be where the sun can 

 shine on them during most of the day, espe- 

 cially during the spring. If convenient, it 

 is desirable to have the entrance of the hive 

 toward the east,' soutlieast or south, tho, if 

 well protected from cold winds, this is not 

 essential. If on sloping ground it is better 

 to place the hives on a southern or soutli- 

 eastern slope if possible. 



The hives should be placed upon four 

 bricks, on blocks of wood or on a regular 

 hive-stand made by nailing together four 

 boards three to six inches wide, to make a 

 rim about the size of the bottom of the hive, 

 the four pieces standing on edge. The hive 

 should be level from side to side, but should 

 be about an incli liigliei- at tlie back than in 

 front. 



If on a village or city lot, the bees should 

 be located well away from the walk, pre 

 ferably near a high board fence or hedge, 

 so that the bees will go upward before fly- 



C, 1. K A X T N G S IN BE K C U h T U K K 



BEGINNERS 



Demuth 



^ 



lU 



ing across neigli- 

 horing lots, pre- 

 venting annoy- 

 .•uice to neigh- 

 l)ors. Where 

 there is no suit- 

 able place in the 

 back yard, the 

 bees can be lo- 

 cated in the at- 

 tic of tlje dwelling or even on the roof, if 

 necessary. If in the attic a few auger holes 

 will provide an entrance. 



Starting With Package Bees or Nuclei. 

 In tlie North, tliose who expect to pur- 

 chase bees in packages or nuclei from the 

 South (see Talks in last issue), instead of 

 established colonies, should order these now 

 to be delivered in April, or if in the far 

 North the first of May may be early enough. 

 The three-}»ound packages usually give best 

 results in surplus honey, tho the two-pound 

 packages often yield as much, or more in 

 proportion, as the larger ones. A queen must 

 be ordered with each package, for she alone 

 must lay the eggs that provide young bees 

 to build two or three pounds of worker bees 

 up to a strong colony before the main honey 

 flow. 



Since beginners usually do not have empty 

 combs or combs containing honey and pol- 

 len (sometimes called beebread), it is some- 

 times much better to purchase two or three 

 frame nuclei (very small colonies with 

 combs), each with a queen, instead of pack- 

 age bees without combs, for this gives tlie 

 bees the advantage of having at least two 

 or three combs already built to start house- 

 keeping when they arrive. Many young 

 bees in these combs should be ready to 

 emerge, and these little colonies begin to in- 

 crease in strength at once. The greatest ob- 

 jection to shipping nuclei is the danger of 

 carrying the brood diseases of bees in this 

 way, if the shipper is careless. When bees 

 are shipped, without combs this danger is 

 ])ractically eliminated. 



What Kind of Hives Should. Beginners Use? 

 Those wlio expec't to purchase either pack- 

 age bees or nuclei should provide the hives 

 and equipment well in advance, so that tlier(> 

 will be time to i)ut the hives together and 

 get them ready for the bees when they ar- 

 rive. A careful study of a catalog of bee- 

 keepers' supplies will greatly aid those who 

 liave not seen modern beehives to under- 

 stand their construction and their various 

 ]iarts. Beginners are usually confused as to 

 what style and size of hives to select. In 

 the catalogs several diff'erent sizes, as well 

 as diff'erent styles of hives, are listed to 

 suit the needs or notions of different bee- 

 keepers. The size used by most of the ex- 

 tensive honey producers is the standard hive 

 liaving 10 frames for the 10 separate combs. 

 These frames are 17% by 9% inches out- 

 side measure. Some beekeepers, especially 



