WILLOW-HERB. 



479 



WINTERING. 



comb honey per colony, unoccupied fields 

 will soon be covered by bee-keepers, after 

 the manner of the rush of tlie ooid-seekers 

 to the Klondike. 



For the fine illustration on previous page 

 we are indebted to tJie editor of the Bee- 

 keepers'' Review. The picture was taken when 

 tlie willow-herb was out in all its glory. In 

 the background appear the straight black 

 shafts of dead pine-trees that stand out 

 alone as the only survivals of their class 

 from the fires. Wliile we can not but de- 



LATiON. Some very important information 

 is given under ENTKANCES,and it would be 

 advisable to re-read that article before one 

 takes up the matter further here. For man- 

 agement of bees in the spring, see Si'RING 

 Management. For a consideration of the 

 different sizes and shapes of frames for win- 

 tering, see Hives. For the discussion of 

 double-walled or chaff hives, see Hives. 



TWO METHODS OF WINTERING HEES. 



There are two methods in vogue. One is 

 called the indoor and the other the outdoor 



A. v.. manum's home apiaky in wintek. 



plore the loss of the pines that furnish the 

 only timber fit to make hives, we rejoice 

 that they have been succeeded by so valu- 

 able a honey-plant. 



All attempts to grow willow-herb out of 

 its native habitats have been failures. 



WINTERirfG-. Whoever has gone 

 over faithfully the preceding pages is now 

 nearly ready to sum up the matter of win- 

 tering. Under the head of Absconding 

 Swarms, in the opening of the book, and 

 under the subject of Uniting, he has been 

 cautioned against dividing, and trying to 

 winter weak colonies. See Absconding in 

 Early Spring, under the head mentioned. 

 In regard to keeping bees warm through the 

 winter with Artificial Heat, see that 

 head. Concerning the effects of different 

 kinds of food or stores on the welfare of 

 bees during winter, see Dysentery, Feed- 

 ing AND Feeders, Candy for Bees. On 

 the subject of fixing the size of the en- 

 trances, see Entrances to Hives, Venti- 



plan. W^hich one the reader shall use de- 

 pends entirely on locality. Where the win- 

 ters are extremely cold, with continuous 

 freezing weather prevailing through Decem- 

 ber, January, February, and March, with- 

 out any warm days intervening, the in- 

 door or cellar plan of wintering bees is the 

 one usually followed. In other places, say 

 fifty or one hundred miles south of the great 

 lakes, or where there is an occasional warm 

 day, say one or two a month when bees may 

 fly, the outdoor method of wintering in 

 double-walled hives, or in single-walled hives 

 with winter cases, is the plan generally in 

 vogue. Throughout the Southern States the 

 plain single-walled hives are w^arm enough 

 without extra protection. 



Indoor wintering in the colder localities 

 does not require double-walled hives or win- 

 ter cases ; but when bees are set out in the 

 spring, some protection should be provided. 



Although cellar wintering requires less 

 expensive hives, it involves more skill— es- 

 pecially so if the cellar or winter repository 



