ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



6? 



If it was like it was a year ago this 

 time, a lot of bees would winter in tlie 

 cellar when they were not in condi- 

 tion to winter outside; then they were 

 light in bees and light in stores and 

 they, would winter in the cellar best 

 but would not winter out of doors in 

 single walled hives. 



I had a lot of light ones and carried 

 them into the cellar and the result was 

 I lost about 100 colonies outdoors and 

 didn't lose what I had indoors. 



Of course I didn't lose all that I had 

 outdoors but I lost a great percent- 

 age, 100 colonies. 



This fall they ha.ve more bees and 

 full of honey, so that , I don't think 

 cellar wintering will make so much 

 difference this time. 



President Baxter — As I understand 

 this question, it asks for the general 

 rule, not exceptions; your circupi- 

 stances were an exception. 



Mr. Pyles — A man just north of us 

 winters out of doors all the time, and 

 perhaps there is no one that winters, 

 with all the packing you have heard 

 talked about this afternoon, or in the 

 cellar, that winters bees as success- 

 fully as he does or more so, year after 

 year, for the last 25 years. 



Doctor Phillips — What is his per- 

 centage of loss? 



Mr. Pyles — Not more than one per 

 cent. 



Mr. Kildow — One year after anotlier 

 that man winters his bees successfully 

 out of doors. So successfully that his 

 bees are practically done swarming 

 the first day of June, and along the 

 first day of June, as a rule, you can 

 hardly touch a hive with bees on it. 



I don't think his loss will average 

 two per cent, but he has — location. 



Mr. Coppin — I have been at this 

 man's place once or twice. He is 

 down in a little place among the bluffs 

 where he is sheltered from all the bad 

 weather. He is protected more than 

 the balance of us; I have been there 

 a time or two, and he is right in where 

 he has protection. 



Mr. Pyles — All the way up and down 

 the Illinois River on the north side of 

 the river, or w^est rather, every mile or 

 two there is just such a location as 

 that — &md. any man who will pack 

 them as he does and have them as 

 strong for the winter — year after year, 

 with such a slight percentage of loss — 



would speak in favor of outdoor win- 

 tering. 



President Baxter — The question is— 

 Which is more profitable in Central 

 Illinois, as a general rule, outdoor or 

 cellar wintering? 



We want to confine ourselves to that 

 — not to exceptions that may arise un- 

 der certain conditions. 



Mr. Dadant — We have wintered two 

 apiaries for 15 or 18 years in the cel- 

 lar while we wintered several apiaries 

 out of doors. We had built a room in 

 the cellar purposely for the bees in 

 our home apiary; we had a lined ceil- 

 ing; the building was sufficiently un- 

 derground to keep the temperature 

 good. In fact we had to give them air 

 to rather cool the cellar than other- 

 wise, but, after that length of time 

 we wintered the bees both out of doors 

 and indoors, we decided for outdoor 

 w^intering. 



If we could tell when a winter is to 

 be very mild beforehand we would al- 

 ways winter out of doors; if we could 

 tell when we w-ere to have a very hard 

 winter, we would winter in the cellar. 



We have finally decided to winter 

 out of doors because we have oftener 

 here a mild wanter than very cold. 



Rarely are the bees kept in the hive 

 more than a month at a time; usually 

 about two weeks, and when allowed 

 to fly that often they generally win- 

 ter well out of doors. 



Of course the trouble in wintering 

 in the cellar is to keep the 4)ees cool 

 enough in mild weather. When we 

 have mild winter weather the bees be- 

 come restless in the cellar. We have 

 been told to use ice but a cake of 'ce 

 does not last very long and the bees 

 become restless, and we find it is de- 

 sirable that they should be out of 

 doors. 



When you go to Doctor .]^iller's, 

 there is no doubt about the advantage 

 of wintering in the cellar. Where we 

 are, in Central Illinois, I would vote 

 for wintering outside. 



If I had fairly weak colonies, I would 

 winter those in the cellar. A colony 

 has very little chance in wintering out 

 of doors if it is weak, unless well 

 packed. 



Mr. Bowen — I never winter in the 

 cellar, so I can't tell you. I have been 

 pretty successful wintering outdoors. 



Speaking of weak colonies: One 

 weak colony I had last year — I ex- 



