xii Contents 



CHAPTER XI 

 THE FIRST STEPS IN BEEKEEPING 



PAGES 



Purchase of colonies — Purchase of bees to be shipped 

 from a distance — Requirements in purchased colonies — 

 How to learn beekeeping — Value of reading— Merits of 

 beekeeping courses — Beginner's outfit .... 222-227 



CHAPTER XII 



THE APIARY SITE 



Apiary grounds — Exposure to the sun — Care of the api- 

 ary grounds — Arrangement of hives — -Number of colonies 

 in one apiary — Out-apiaries — Conveniences less essential 

 in out-apiaries . . . . • • 228-233 



CHAPTER XIII 



THE MANIPULATION OF BEES 



Disturbance to be reduced to a minimum — Equipment 

 for manipulation — When to handle bees — Opening a hive 



— Remedies for stings — Removing frames — Handling 

 frames — Desirability of straight combs in manipulations — 

 Closing the hive — Occasional manipulations — Feeding — 

 What to feed — Feeders — Uniting — Influence of hive odor 



— Learning the new location — Transferring — The best 

 time to transfer colonies — Methods — Transferring from 

 walls of houses — ■ Transferring from hollow trees — Prevent- 

 ing robbing in the apiary — Moving bees — Elimination of 

 non-essential manipulations — Two essentials — Increase in 

 efficiency through system . 234-254 



CHAPTER XIV 

 SPRING MANAGEMENT 



Object of spring manipulations — Prevention of drifting 



— Spring protection — First examinations — Cleaning the 

 hives — Equalizing the colonies- — Clipping queens — Sum- 

 mary of favorable spring conditions — Questionable manipu- 

 lations — Stimulative feeding — Spreading the brood — 

 Substitutes for pollen 255-264 



