MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 23when the season closes; so you ought to count on an extra superfor each colony; altogether six supers per colony, or 72 supers ofsections for the 12 colonies. Understand only once in a while youwill have a season when you will need so many, but you neverknow but what the next season will be a bouncer, and you must beprepared for it. What are not needed will be all right for thenext year. Even if the season proves an entire failure your superswill be all right for the first good season that comes.As to hives, you will probably want to double your number,preventing all afterswarms, so you will need to have in readinessa hive for each colony, or 12 in all.Bee Veils.—Q. What is your idea of a good bee veil?A. Our favored veil is made after this fashion : One end ofthe veil is sewed to the outer brim of the hat (of course, an elasticmay be used to slip over the hat if preferred) ; this keeps the veilsmooth, avoiding wrinkles in front of the face. An elastic cordis run in the lower hem. A safety pin is caught through the hemin the front, taking in the elastic cord. This is always left hangingin the veil, then when hat and veil are on, all that is neededis to pull the elastic down until taut—not only taut, but stretchedvery tight—and then to fasten the safety pin to keep it so. If arigid cord were used instead of an elastic, when the body wasbent it would become slack and allow bees to pass under, but ifthe elastic is drawn down tight enough no bee can get under, nomatter what change is made in the position of the body. Nothingcan be simpler as a fastening, and it is perfectly safe.Beginning in Beekeeping.—Q. I would like to know the bestpossible way to commence beekeeping the coming season.A. Take my advice and don't wait for the coming season, butbegin now, getting a good book on beekeeping and studying itthoroughly. That's the way to begin, and by the time you havedone that you will know plenty well the next step. Begin withtwo or three colonies, so that you may learn as you go.Q. I am in Northern Minnesota. Does it make any differencewhether I get my bees from the Southern States, or would it bebetter to get them as near home as possible?A. Better get them as near home as possible. Transportationfrom any distance south would be more than the cost of the bees.If you can't do any better, get black bees in box-hives, and thenyou can transfer and Italianize.Bisulphide of Carbon (See Carbon Disulfide.)