Elements of Beekeeping 



Spool No. 30 tinned wire for wiring comb foundation in the 

 brood frames. 



The beekeeper will find it to his advantage to buy the hives 

 and supers knocked down and assemble them himself. It does 

 not pay one to make his own hives, as the factory-made ones 

 are of good material and made with greater accuracy. Many 

 beekeepers make the hive body and then buy the frames in the 

 flat. 



The Colony. A colony of bees consists of about 25,000 or 

 more individuals and is made up of one queen and thousands 

 of workers who build the comb, gather the stores, keep the hive 

 clean and feed the colony. During part of the year there are 



Worker 



present, in small numbers, male bees, called drones, whose sole 

 purpose is to mate with the queen. A large swarm constitutes 

 a colony. A small lot of bees, numbering about 5,000 or more, 

 makes a nucleus. 



How to Get Bees. Nuclei may be purchased or colonies in 

 movable-frame hives. If full and strong colonies are obtained 

 early in the spring, returns from the sale of the honey will 

 often pay for the investment. It is always advisable to obtain 

 colonies from someone in your own locality. In starting with 

 a nucleus it is necessary to purchase a one to three-pound pack- 

 age (about 5,000 to 15,000 bees) with a good queen. By fall 



