BEES 



633 



dormant, time of life wall extend from 6 to 8 months. It is, therefore; 

 necessary to maintain a strong, prolific queen in order to repopulate the 

 colon}'. 



Size and Location of Apiary. — Authorities agree that for the most 

 intensive bee culture, 100 colonies are all that can be managed with profit. 



The beginner will do well to start with a colony or two and gradually 

 build up as he becomes more familiar with the work. A year or two will 

 prove his success or failure. While the necessary initial capital is small, 



- L ^^S':^rf^S 



ms 



General View of an Apiary. 1 



still a plunge into the bee business without previous experience and a 

 thorough knowledge of bee habits is very apt to end in disaster. 



The ideal location for an apiary is in an orchard or near fields where 

 bloom is plenty; although colonies have been successfully maintained in 

 city back yards and even on housetops. 



Although bees travel a distance of two miles in search of nectar, it is 

 best to provide for it nearer home. The time wasted in transit is negative, 

 as the bee flies very rapidly; but if far from home, sudden rain or wind 

 storms bewilder the bees and cause loss of life. In rainy or cold weather, 

 bees do not travel far from the hive. Should the nectar be far afield, con- 

 tinued unfavorable weather necessarily decreases their activity. 



The hives should be placed a few feet apart so that in working with 



1 Courtesy of U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. Farmers' Bulletin 447. 



