CONSTRUCTIVE BEEKEEPING 



Commercial beekeeping has for its object the production of 

 the maximum quantity of well ripened honey at a minimum of 

 cost. Swarming adds greatly to the cost of producing honey. 

 Most methods of swarm-prevention have in them the element 

 of destructiyeness. Ventilating, removing the queen, shaking 

 the bees, removing the brood, exchanging brood-bodies, loosening 

 the cover, all destroying something that the bees have done, or 

 adding to the work to be done in the hive. 



Let me state here that you are not going to be told that ab- 

 solute swarm-prevention is a possibility, nor will you be told that 

 honey can be produced by absent treatment. What you will get 

 from a good understanding of the following pages is that the bee- 

 keeper who takes advantage of the laws relating to condensation 

 of vapor, and follows where the bees have been leading will have 

 advanced one step nearer the swarmless bee. 



Instead of going to the hive and telling the bees (by manip- 

 ulations) "don't do this" ; say to them "keep all your brood, keep 

 your queen, keep the cold damp air out of the hive and I will 

 make your hive so perfect a condenser of water vapor that the 

 work of evaporating water from the nectar will be done quickly." 

 We will bring team-work into play, and each get the benefit of 

 every advantage gained. 



Constructive beekeeping helps by getting the honey ripened 

 quickly each night and stored out of the way of the queen. The 

 hive will then be maintained in such a condition that the bees 

 have the greatest amount of comfort in relation to the results 

 produced. 



EFFICIENCY 



Familiarity with the bees makes a person wonder where the 

 mule got his reputation for stubborness. We must, when we work 

 with bees, follow where they lead if we want satisfactory results. 



