CHAPTER XXVIII 
BEEKEEPING ENTERPRISE 
BEEKEEPING may be undertaken as a main enterprise or as a 
side line in connection with general farming or other special 
farming. Like poultry raising, it requires little capital at the start. 
Many may undertake beekeeping who are, because of lack of 
physical strength or otherwise, unqualified for other lines of agri- 
culture which require more active, physical effort. Because of the 
industry not occupying the attention of the beekeeper throughout 
the year some other occupation should be planned. A fairly good 
average yield from a colony of bees each season is forty pounds 
of extracted honey or twenty-five pounds of comb honey. 
Selecting the Race.—Wild black or German bees are some- 
times captured and used in domestic colonies, but as they are very 
cross, easily excited, and easily overcome by diseases and moths, 
other breeds are preferred. 
Italian bees are much more easily managed and are much more 
in use than any other race. They are good honey makers, are 
gentle, and good in protecting themselves against robbers, diseases 
and moths. They are easily recognized by yellow bands across 
the body behind the wings. There are usually three such bands. 
Other races are Cyprian, Carniolan, Caucasian, and Syrian, all 
of which are more used in Europe than in America. 
Members of a Colony.—In a complete colony there are three 
types of bees—worker, queen (Fig. 298), drone. Workers secrete 
the wax, build comb, care for queen and larvae, gather pollen, 
gather nectar and ripen it into honey, defend and ventilate hive, 
and do all work except the egg-laying. The queen lays eggs and 
does nothing else. Drones, male bees, do no work and have no 
stings. Toward the end of the season or at close of honey flow 
they are destroyed by workers. 
Getting Started.—A good plan is to buy about three colonies 
of the best bees from a reliable beekeeper. Each queen should be 
less than two years of age and the bees free from disease. Hach 
colony should be strong, being composed of one young queen, a 
few drones and thousands of workers. The combs should have 
been drawn or have full sheets of foundation. The buyer should 
see that the frames are wired and that the equipment is modern 
in everv respect. Never buy hives that are not standard in size 
fe