78 BEEKEEPING 



Even when buying bees in a modern 

 hive, certain precautions should be taken 

 to see that one does not unwittingly get 

 more than he had bargained for. I have 

 indicated that it is fairly easy to tell 

 when the colonies are strong, but it re- 

 quires an expert to determine whether 

 disease exists and whether the colony has 

 a good queen. Both of these items should 

 be investigated before the purchase is 

 made. Even if the queen herself is not 

 observed her presence can usually be 

 taken for granted if we find freshly laid 

 eggs in the cells of the brood frames. 

 These are easily recognized at the bottom 

 of the cells, usually in sections of the comb 

 adjacent to and around the edges of the 

 clusters of cells containing the larvse in 

 various stages of development. The brood 

 diseases, however, are difficult for the 

 novice to detect, and before buying he 

 should always call in some one capable of 

 recognizing these disorders. In another 

 chapter I shall go into considerable de- 



