1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



435 



this wet cellar is quite captivating, and might 

 give others the bee-fever as well as himself; and 

 I fear it might also mislead some to give the 

 whole credit to the moisture. James Heddon 

 reported a similar experience years ago, but not 

 to advocate moisture as the most favorable 

 condition, that Iremember, but as an argument 

 bearing upon the pollen theory. 



The astonishing part to me is, that Mr. Doo- 

 little goes on record as favoring such a condi- 

 tion— see Gleanings, 1894, Feb. 15. Mr. D.'s 

 reports give him a good record for wintering 

 his bees in this same moist cellar, except one 

 winter when he reported a serious loss attrib- 

 uted by him to an oil -stove which he had placed 

 in the cellar, to overcome the low temperature, 

 I suppose. With his experience and sound 

 judgment in such matters I feel sure that his 

 good record will continue unbroken in winter- 

 ing in this same cellar unless something un- 

 foreseen should turn up. But would it be safe 

 to trust the novice in his place? I think not. 

 Without the knowledge of the requirements of 

 such a repository I think it would be unsafe 

 and uncertain. 



But what reason has Mr. D. for thinking 

 that bees will winter better in a moist or wet 

 atmosphere than a dry one? He probably has 

 reasons, but he gives none except the excellent 

 condition in which he describes his bees. Has 

 he any assurance that they would not winter 

 as well, or even better, if his cellar had been 

 dry instead of wet? To those who contemplate 

 building a wintering-repository, it is a question 

 of first importance how to secure the most 

 favorable conditions. 



MY OWN EXPERIENCE. 



Of the four wintering-repositories that I used 

 for quite a number of years, I had but one that 

 I considered perfect. This one is absolutely 

 dry in every part, and mold rarely ever gets 

 into it. It is in such perfect condition in this 

 respect that combs and honey stored in it keep 

 in good condition at all seasons. My section 

 honey I have kept here for many years. This 

 is my home bee-house, planned and built ex- 

 pressly for the purpose. My other bee-reposi- 

 tories were improvised. About 200 colonies I con- 

 sider the utmost capacity of my home bee-house; 

 150 to 160 is about the average number that I 

 have wintered in it for years. This gives 75 to 

 80 colonies in each of two rooms, making what 

 I consider a well-balanced proportion of colo- 

 nies to the size of the rooms, which is of much 

 importance. Now, I am sure that this bee- 

 house could not winter better with a moist 

 atmosphere instead of a dry one. Every colony 

 put into it in November in normal condition I 

 expect to come out in the spring in just as good 

 condition as when put in. Even light nuclei 

 winter just as well as strong colonies. I at- 

 tribute the perfect wintering qualities of this 

 bee-house largely to its dryness and wholesome 

 sanitary conditions. It is not entirely secure 



against outside changes of temperature, but 

 varies considerably. It is sufficiently protected 

 to avoid sudden changes and extremes, and is 

 perfectly safe for a short time between the ex- 

 tremes of 35° and 60°. Uniformity I do not 

 consider imrortant. The regulation 45° is, no 

 doubt, about right. A high temperature is 

 much safer than a low one in any bee-reposi- 

 tory. Artificial heat I know to be a good thing: 

 and in the building of a bee-house I would 

 advocate some provision for it. The absence 

 of mold may be partly due to the fumigating 

 with sulphur which I frequently give the rooms 

 for the benefit of the honey and combs stored 

 in them during the warm season. Two of the 

 four repositories mentioned were very good 

 cellars under dwelling-houses. These were 

 walled up in the usual way with stone. In 

 each of these I made a room of the size which I 

 thought 1 would need for my bees by means of 

 a partition of matched ceiling. When I had 

 them finished I thought they would be good 

 wintering-repositories for the bees. But I have 

 never been able to winter in them as perfectly 

 as in the home bee-house. Although not as 

 wet as Mr. D. describes his to be, they would 

 always accumulate some moisture; and the 

 combs not protected by the bees would be more 

 or less damaged by mold and fermentation. 

 Light colonies were especially exposed, and the 

 first to suffer. All unsealed stores, especially 

 the pollen, would be affected. 



I regard the wintering of the stores in good 

 condition as decidedly important; for upon 

 their condition depends the future prosperity 

 of the colony. There is no question about their 

 wintering best in a dry place. I found these 

 cellars too cold. They were affected too much 

 by outside temperature— a fault I had no means 

 of correcting, as I had no means of raising the 

 temperature during a long steady cold spell, 

 and this I think is the prevailing fault of such 

 repositories. They were by no means cold 

 cellars, as they were frost-proof, and sufficient- 

 ly warm for vegetables, but they were cold 

 bee-repositories. If such a cellar has to be 

 used it is best to put in as many colonies as can 

 be safely controlled during the warm weather 

 in early spring before it is time to set them out, 

 for they help to keep up the temperature during 

 a cold spell. If these cellars had been as dry 

 as my home bee-house, the low temperature 

 would not have been at all serious; or with 

 artificial heat the fault might have been easily 

 corrected. Look out for cold if the wintering 

 repository is damp. 



WHAT MAKES THE MOISTURE IN THE BEE- 

 CELLAR ? 



The walls are cold. The bees generate heat, 

 which warms the air about them. This moves 

 out to the walls and cold corners, and deposits 

 the moisture with which it is loaded, by con- 

 densation, where it will remain if there are no 

 means of absorbing it or evaporating it by ven- 



