Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-17
fAMEREE COETURE
when You Begin Beekeeping.


There seems to be feeling among
some of the commercial beekeepers
that there is too much encouragement
given to people in general to 60 into
beekeeping In some ways they may
be right in this, and yet there is an
other side to the subject l fear these
old-timers who have developed during
the passing years into extensive honey
producers, forget that once upon .
time they themselves were beginners
with bees; and that If there were none
to take up beekeping, in few years
there would be no honey produced for
market-it would all be in bee trees
and other places where bees find their
homes when not kept in hives.
So feel that there should be rea.
sonable number OF beginners in bee
keeping every year. While in all
probability the majority will drop out
in a year or two, and possibly lose a
little money, it may be said that such
people would lose money in something
anyway, and it might as we'll be lost
in Bookkeeping as in anything else.
There will always be folks who like
to dabble in lines of poultry, rabbits,
bees, etc., and who never will be any
thing but dabblers. However, there
is no good reason why all who begin
beekeeping should not succeed, if they
will give it proper attention.
But what is the best way to begin
with bees? Well, should advise,
first of all, that every prospective bee
keeper get one of the standard books
and periodicals on bees and beekeep-
ing, and study the subject thoroughly.
After reading and getting the rudi-
ments - the first principles - of the
work, then get the bees, say only one
or two hives, or colonies" as they
are now called Each hive would con-
tain the bees, combs. etc. You might
buy full colony, or you could get
nucleus or two would recommend a
3-frame nucleus, if you do not get
full colony.
But what is a 3-frame nucleus of
bees? 1t consists Of frames of comb
taken from full colony, including the
adhering bees, queen, and also any
honey and brood that may be in the
combs. The frames of bees, etc.,
wiuld be shipped by express in light
shipping box, and when they arrive
the frames with bees should be lifted
out of the box into hive previously
prepared for them.
Two sizes of hives have been in use
for many years. One holds in its low
est section, called a brood chamber"
8 frames, and the other 10 frames. II
you are going to use the S-frame size,
then you will need five more frames to
fill out the brood chamber; if you have
the 10-frame size of hive then you will
need seven more frames.
Each of the extra frames should
have fastened in it a full sheet of
brOod-cOmb combination. These sheets
are made of pure beeswax rolled out
thin (say about one-eighth inch thick,
and then are run between two metal
rollers made so that the impressions
Of the bases Of the comb cells appear
on each SIDE
The bees should be secured in this
locality about May list, and if the
spring is cold and backward they may
need to be fed They use much food
during the brood-rearing season, which
increases from March 1st until say
June and July, when the best queens
lay 5000 eggs or more daily. 1t is nec-
essary that the population of worker
bees be kept up, for in the busy sea-
son of nectar-gathering they live only
about six weeks.
Should the bees need feeding, sugar
syrup is best and safest. Thoroughly
dissolve one quart of sugar with one
pint OF boiling water, and give it to
the bees warm, as much as they will
take.
There are various ways of feeding
bees, but l like best putting the syrup
into a shallow pan or wooden bee.
feeder, placed right on top of the
brood frames in an empty super. Lay
several short wooden sticks about an
inch thick across on top of the vessel
holding the syrup, then put burlap or
other packing on top of all within the
super. This will help conserve all the
heat of the bees, and cause them to
store the syrup rapidly in their combs.
or course, 3-frame nucleus might
not do much more than fill it's brood
chamber with honey the first season.
depending upon the season and the
& l0Ye pn}aSnoe,s