The Honey Bee 1423 



air fresh at all times. A warm cellar in which a large mimber 

 of colonies are stored, might have a window left open all winter 

 hj packing same properly so as to exclnde light. The hives 

 should also be ventilated more or less, depending on the tem- 

 perature of the repository. The bees should be kept in the dark 

 and quiet ; the hives supported from the ground or bottom only, 

 having no connection with upper floors, to avoid the transmission 

 of jars. A boiler or furnace in a cellar where bees are wintered 

 is not objectionable; in fact it may often prove to be advantageous 

 by improving ventilation and furnishing additional warmth. 



Where a good cellar is not available for the purpose, one may 

 be constructed cheaply in a bank or practically above ground by 

 setting up posts and using timbers or poles for a frame work, 

 covering these with cheap lumber, then banking well with earth 

 to the plates and covering over the top with sawdust one or two 

 feet deep, with a cheap roof over all. Such a cellar will meet the 

 required needs as well as the most expensive one. 



In this latitude the bees should be housed in November and 

 replaced upon summer stands in March or April, depending on 

 the weather conditions. A bright, warm day should be chosen 

 for this purpose as it is very essential that their first flight be 

 successfully accomplished, since their future welfare depends 

 much upon it. It has been recommended to place hives on the 

 same stands that they occupied the season before, but this is 

 unimportant. 



Be sure that rats and mice are excluded from the cellar, also 

 from hives wintered out, as they would cause havoc among the 

 bees and combo 



When bees are wintered out-of-doors they should be in a 

 sheltered location and protected by a packing of leaves or straw 

 at back and sides of hive — the front may be exposed if facing 

 south. Cover the packing to keep out wet. Of course if they are 

 in double or winter hives, this precaution is unnecessary. 



If well wintered there is little danger of spring dwindling. 

 The tops of the hives may be made tight to retain the natural 

 heat of the colony, and the entrance reduced to actual necessity 

 for the size of the colony. See that they contain plenty of stores 

 for the bees and brood and handle them but little until settled 

 warm weather. 



