T 



r)e (Dee-\^^peps 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



Devoted to the Interests of Honey Producers. 

 $1.00 A YEAR, 

 w. z, dOTCHDiSON. Editor M Proprieifli 



VOL. XVI. FLINT, MICHIGAN, SEPT. 10, 1903. NO. 9. 



(fjf^ SUCCESSFUIv WINTERING 

 1/ \ \ REPOSITORY ABOVE 

 J[ \\ GROUND. BY H. R. BOARD- 

 MAN. 



Mr. Editor:— Referring to my bee- 

 house, in which you have become 

 somewhat interested, I will say that it 

 Avas built 25 years ago; and I have 

 used it for wintering my bees, with 

 entire satisfaction, during all of these 

 years since. It was built in a perma- 

 nent manner, has been kept will paint- 

 ed, and is in a good state of preserva- 

 tion noAV. 



DETAII.S OF CONSTRUCTION. 



It is entirely above ground; is 50x 

 12x7 feet high, inside, with double 

 walls 12 inches thick, filled with saw- 

 dust, and sawdust on the floor over 

 head. It is divided into three rooms, 

 two of which were designed to be 

 used in winter for winter repositories 

 for the bees. A room in the middle, 

 between these two, is 10 feet square, 

 inside, leaving the bee-rooms each 

 19x10 inside. There are two doors 

 ii. this middle room, front and back. 

 The windows all face the bee yard 

 on the east: they tip on pivots in the 

 center, to let out the bees, and fasten 

 at the top with spring stops. They are 

 ritted with shutters, inside, to make 



the room dark as well as warm for 

 Aviuter. The floor is cement. 



The middle room furnishes an in- 

 dispensible ante-room to the bee- 

 rooms in going in and out during the 

 winter. It also answers an excellent 

 I)urpose for a ventilating room through 

 which the l)ee-rooms may be venti- 

 lated without admitting the outside 

 air directly to the bees. 



For a considerable time after the 

 bees have been put in winter quar- 

 ters they are not disturbed by the 

 outside air, nor even by the light, if 

 the weather continues • moderate, but 

 after a while it becomes necessary to 

 darken the bee-rooms to keep them 

 quiet; and for the same purpose I care- 

 fully exclude the direct drafts of out- 

 side ail'. 



The room contains a stove used for 

 various purposes, besides furnishing 

 heat and ventilation to the bees in 

 winter, when needed. The advantage 

 of two rooms instead of one is appar- 

 ent in setting out the bees Avhen they 

 have become restless. A part of them 

 can be kept quiet and under control 

 while the rest are put out. 



SPECIAL VENTIIvATORS UNNECESSARY. 



When I had my l)ee-house built, t 

 thought that ventilation was the com- 



