418 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



extra inducement to this, it may be mentioned that the earlier feed- 

 ing with the thinner material tends to make the queen lay, thus 

 having a larger force of young bees to endure the winter and be 

 read}' for spring work. 



For wintering outdoors, the entrance of the hive should not be 

 more than three-eighths of an inch by eight inches for strong colonies 

 and less for weaker ones. To keep out mice, close the entrance with 

 wire cloth having three meshes to the inch. This will allow the bees 

 to pass, but not the mice. With so small an entrance there is danger 

 of clogging, and this must be guarded against by cleaning out the en- 

 trance if it needs it. Some put under the hive a rim an inch or two 

 deep with the entrance at the top of it, and with this there is much 

 less danger of clogging. The hives should not be in a windy place, 

 but sheltered especially from north and west wind. Let them face 

 south or southeast, and put some kind of packing about the hives 

 without closing the entrance, even if nothing more than corn stalks 

 piled up against them. Some use the old-fashioned bee sheds of our 

 grandfathers with good success. The success will be more sure if 

 straw is packed behind and between the hives. Some put over each 

 hive a box large enough to cover it and leave a space of three to 

 six inches all around between the hive and box, packing this space 

 with chaff, dry leaves, planer shavings or something of the kind. 

 Of course the entrance must be kept clear. 



One of the things that is bad in winter is too much moisture in the 

 hive. The bees are constantly breathing out moisture, which settles 

 on the cold walls like the moisture of the air on a pitcher of ice 

 water on a hot day. This may form icicles directly over the bees, 

 and when it melts it will fall upon the bees, to their serious in- 

 jury. Provision may be made for the escape of this moisture else- 

 where than at the entrance. Put burlap or some kind of cloth 

 over the top bars with a corn cob under it, so the bees can cross 

 from one frame to another, then cover with three to six inches of 

 leaves, chaff or planer shavings, and put on the cover. This will 

 allow the moisture to escape slowly upward. 



OUTDOOR WINTER CARE. 



Having provided in advance for the welfare of the bees by making 

 sure that they have plenty of provisions and are warmly tucked up 

 in their winter quarters, and having provided against intrusion of 

 mice and disturbance from domestic animals, there is little to be 

 done for the bees throughout the winter, unless it be to clean the 

 doad bees out of the entrance and to guard against the combined 

 elTect of sun and snow. 



When the ground is covered with soft snow and the sun shines 



