1526 Department of Agriculture 



To further prepare for wintering the bees, I build a platform in 

 the cellar about eight inches high, as wide as the hives are long, or 

 a little scant, and about four inches from the cellar wall. I pile 

 my hives four or five hives high, and have the back end of each 

 two inches higher than the front. This will cause any water that 

 might accumulate in the hive to run out ; and will also give the bees 

 a better chance to get their dead out of the way. This arrange- 

 ment applies only where fast-bottomed hives are used. When 

 hives without bottoms are employed the bees will winter just as 

 well by piling the hives level, except that a stick one inch square 

 on top shoiild be put at each end of the hive. Set the next hive 

 on that, and so on. I leave a space to walk between each row of 

 hives in the cellar. 



I have most of my hives fitted with fast covers and bottoms 

 when transporting them into the cellar, and close the entrance to 

 the hives so that no bees can escape. I draw the most of them to 

 the cellar way on a wagon, and then run them down a chute into 

 the cellar. I know of a beekeeper who piles them up while two 

 other men go after another load. Any available help can do this. 



When all of the bees are in the cellar, I light up a large-sized 

 smoker and smoke the cellar full of smoke. In about three 

 moments later, I open the entrance to all of the hives ; the smoke 

 will keep the bees from rushing out when the entrances are re- 

 moved. I give a ventilation a half-inch high, and clear across the 

 front end of my hive. 



Most of the cellars under dwellings are used for other purposes 

 also. In this case the opening and closing of the doors by members 

 of the family furnish all of the ventilation that is needed for the 

 bees. It is well to have some kind of a partition put up between 

 the vegetable room and the place where the bees are kept, so that 

 the lamp light used by members of the family in getting their 

 vegetables will not disturb the bees; especially toward spring 

 when they begin to get uneasy. If the bees do grow uneasy, the 

 outside cellar door may be opened cool nights to cool them off, 

 except when the south wind blows. 



Some cellars are dry and warm, while others are damp and cold. 

 Some have running water through them, and yet are not damp 

 cellars, such as would cause things to mold. We must learn how 



