HOW TO GET THE BEES 77 



Even with the best of colonies the combs 

 may be built in such a crooked fashion 

 that little can be done with them when it 

 comes to fitting them into the new brood 

 frames. And if the combs are perfectly 

 straight and we secure a good fit in the 

 frames we still do not have an ideal ar- 

 rangement, for these old combs are never 

 fastened as solidly to the frame as they 

 should be. In hot weather or when they 

 are loaded with winter stores they not in- 

 frequently break down of their own weight 

 for they lack both a good attachment to 

 the top bar and the brace wires which 

 should always be present in a properly 

 planned brood frame. The best way for 

 the beginner to start with bees is to buy 

 them in modern frame hives from some 

 reliable apiary. In that way the trouble 

 and annoyance of transferring from the 

 old boxes to the new hives will be avoided 

 and after having learned something of the 

 handling of the insects the new owner can 

 later increase his numbers by the purchase 

 of stock in the crude hives. 



