the three anterior segments of the abdomen and the bees are quiet 
under manipulation. The abdomen of the Italian queen is usually 
colored a light brown. The drones vary considerably in coloring, 
some being a light brown while others are a rather dark brown with 
combinations of these shades. 
MAKING A START WITH BEES 
There are business concerns which make a business of selling 
bees and beekeepers’ supplies. In many cases it is wise to buy a 
colony of Italian bees from a reputable firm as early in the spring 
as is possible, even though the cost is considerable. Another way 
to make a start is to purchase a colony nearby, if one satisfactory 
in every way can be had. Still another is to secure a hive fitted 
up for bees and get some beekeeping neighbor to put into it an early 
swarm. Buying bees in box hives or old frame hives, and trans- 
ferring to modern frame hives, gives excellent experience, and when 
a novice has accomplished this he has gained experience which is 
valuable and can hardly be secured in any other way. From a 
financial standpoint it is of doubtful value. Buying bees in pack- 
ages without combs, or buying two or three frame nuclei, is sometimes 
practical for the experienced beekeeper, but only by rare chance 
will the person with limited knowledge of beekeeping avoid loss 
by this method of starting with bees. For this reason the novice 
is advised to get a full colony. The experienced person needs no 
advice in the matter but can apply his knowledge in 'a way which 
will give best results. 
LOCATING THE COLONY 
The majority of New Jersey beekeepers have bees as a side line, 
and because of limited space have little choice as to where they 
shall be located. The wise beekeeper will bear in mind that the 
public is afraid of bees whether there is danger or not. He should 
further consider that there may be considerable advantage to the 
bees in one location rather than in another. The colonies should 
be placed where there will be the smallest danger of annoyance 
to persons or animals passing or to animals in fields. 
The bees will be favored if the hive is protected by some sort 
of windbreak from the prevailing winter winds. Bees are sometimes 
kept on the roofs of buildings, and at least one colony in New Jersey 
is kept in a living room with an entrance through a board under 
the window. A solid board fence is not a good windbreak, but if 
a fence is used for this purpose the boards should be spaced a 
short distance apart. This arrangement checks the currents of air 
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