212 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. 15 



laid well, but never an egg hatched. I think 

 such cases have not been so very uncommon, 

 and no explanation, I think, has ever been at- 

 tempted, other than simply to say such things 

 sometimes occur. Now, it will be very conven- 

 ient, in case we are ready, to admit Metzger's 

 theory, to say that there was some trouble with 

 the spermatheca, which prevented the imi)reg- 

 nation of the eggs, hence none could hatch. 

 Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller. 



[A report similar to this was given on page 

 168. but as it is put in a new and difTerent form, 

 perhaps it will help to add interest to and throw 

 light upon an already important subject.] 



LADIES' Conversazione. 



MRS. AXTELL'S LETTER. 



SO.ME INTERESTING FACTS IN REGARD TO 

 WINTERING. 



March 1st our bees had a fly for the first time 

 since the middle of November, except two colo- 

 nies that were in a warmer location than the 

 rest. I expected some of the colonies would be 

 dead, but all are alive. Some have lost a con- 

 siderable number of bees lying dead in the bot- 

 tom of hives, which necessitates cleaning the 

 hives out. We bought four old box hives, large 

 size, last fall, heavy i-. honey— 60 lbs. ormore. I 

 should judge; black hybrid bees. We set them 

 in one of our outdoor chaff hives and raised 

 them up from the bottom-board on blocks; set 

 the hive to the front of our hive and packed in 

 chaff all around, except in front: put on a top- 

 story band and tilled in chaff on top. Those 

 hives have scarcely any dead bees on the bot- 

 tom-board. I look for them to come out strong. 

 One of those has not had a tly since the middle 

 of November. It stood in the shade when the 

 others were flying. As thei'e were scarcely any 

 dead bees under the hive, and no bees flying, and 

 strong last fall. I wondered what had become of 

 the bees; so I pulled off' the top and dug down 

 into the top of the old box hives, and there I 

 found lots of bees clear up in the top of old hive. 

 warm and quiet and contented. They acted as 

 if they did not feel the need of flying; after that. 

 a dozen or so came out. 



From the way those box hives packed in our 

 big chaff hives have wintered, I feel strongly in- 

 clined to think such an arrangement can't be 

 beat. The box hive was solid except on top, 

 where were holes large enough for bees to come 

 up into boxes, which were covered over with 

 cloth, the holes being not more than two to four 

 inches square. 



But we can't handle bees in the box hives — 

 can't manipulate them satisfactorily during the 

 summer. We generally find holes through the 

 combs so that the bees can pass to all parts of 

 ^the hive readily, and the sheets of comb are 

 taller than broad — about the shape eight of our 

 Quinby frames, if set Upon end, would make a 

 hive. 



I do not feel satisfied with our record of win- 

 tering out of doors in the past. It is too much 

 trouble to build up weakly colonies ready for the 

 spring harvest; and, if not strong then, bee- 

 keeping doesn't pay. 



We have no trouble to get the honey when 

 there is honey in the flowers, with strong colo- 

 nies; but I am sure our wintering outdoors is de- 

 fective. We can winder in cellar with but little 

 loss — almost perfectly when they have good 

 stores; but it is too much trouble to bring bees 

 home from an out-apiary, and too much dan- 

 ger attending it; and v/e must winter the out- 

 apiary out of doors. 



Last fall we tried a new arrangement. We 

 made a box with only top and sides to fit over our 

 six Quinby frames. The frames were raised up 

 lli in. from the bottom, and packed with chaff 

 at sides and top; but a fourth to a half of the 

 colonies lay dead on the bottom -boards, while 

 scarcely any were dead on the bottom -boards of 

 box hives. 



Ice was found in entrances of the hives twice 

 during the winter after very cold spells; en- 

 trances were entirely sealed up. The ice was easi- 

 ly melted out by pouringin boiling water from a 

 tea-kettle, pouring in water long enough to clean 

 it all out and wash the frozen dead bees out a 

 little away back into the hive. As the hives are 

 all leaned forward, being four to six inches 

 higher in the back, the water would all run out 

 at the entrance. A little steam, I suppose, would 

 rise, but I think not enough to injure the bees 

 if the weather was not too cold. In very freez- 

 ing weather I think I should not like to risk 

 even that much steam. The hives being pitched 

 forward was. I think, one reason of the entrances 

 being frozen full of ice. Do you know whether 

 others who did not lean their hives forward 

 were troubled by the entrances freezing full of 

 ice, where they used sealed or tight boards on 

 top, instead of chaff. We had two hives packed 

 with chaff' on top; and even in one of those the 

 entrance was full of ice once, with boards leaned 

 over the fronts of all hives out of doors. I think 

 more depends on having a good wintering hive 

 than in the location. If they are warm. dry. and 

 healthy, they don't seem to care whether they 

 fly or not. 



In regard to sweeping light snow around the 

 hives to protect from the cold in the first part 

 of winter and midwinter, I should like to know 

 whether others think it best to do so, first lean- 

 ing a board up in front of the hives to keep the 

 snow out of entrance. It does seem to be a great 

 protection, but it has its disadvantage by leav- 

 ing a bank of snow around the hive when the 

 snow has melted off elsewhere. When bees want 

 to fly they drop down on to the snow and ice and 

 cold water, and may perish unlessstraw is freely 

 strewn around, which litters up the yard. 



If sloping ground could always be had for the 

 apiary, the water would then run off: but we 

 must place our bees where they will be the 

 most handy to work with, even upon level land. 

 Ours is slightly slanting to the south, and yet 

 the melting snow came near running into two 

 entrances when melted, although all hives are 

 sitting upon bricks. 



I have seen it stated that bees rise from the 

 snow after it is crusted over, but they don't fly 

 when there 's a crust on the snow. When warm 

 enough for them to fly, the snow or ice is soft on 

 top. 



A GOOD IDEA. 



We happened to hit upon that of raising up 

 one side of our hives for ci'llar wintering. As 

 our hives are clamped at the sides, instead of be- 

 ing nailed, they have almost too small entrances 

 for cellar wintering, but large e^iough at all 

 other times, unless it be in very hot weather, 

 and then the front of the hives can, at one cor- 

 ner, be unclasped. Now, as we go from one hive 

 to another and peep in, we find the bottom- 

 board nearly clear of dead bees, although the 

 frames are not lifted up. For three or four win- 

 ters past we lifted the frames up \}4 inches; but 

 we find that it is unnecessary, as it causes a 

 great deal of work to lift them up in the fall and 

 let them down again in the spring. 



One hive got overlooked in being set up at the 

 side, and bees had only their entrance to come 

 out of the hive. I watched it all the fore part 

 of winter, and the entrance kept open all right; 

 so I got a little neglectful. Yesterday I looked 

 after it and found the entrance entirely closed 



