1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



891 



time iu his life when he will say he would give 

 almost any thing If these combs were only 

 worker combs so he could use them just when 

 and where he pleased. Where half-depth combs 

 are used for extracting, as the custom of some 

 is, it does not make so very much difference 

 whether they are of the worker or drone size of 

 cells; and in this case I would allow the bees to 

 build their own comb in the frames. If the api- 

 arist is working for comb honey, then "which 

 is best" will depend on whether he is going to 

 allow swarming in his apiary or whether he is 

 going to keep his bees from swarming. If the 

 latter (I doubt about his success in this, how- 

 ever), then he will have as much need of found- 

 ation when combs are being built as he would 

 if he were working for extracted honey, as 

 strong colonies building combs under any sys- 

 tem of non-swarming will give a drone size of 

 cells more often than otherwise. But if he is to 

 work his bees on the swarming plan, and use 

 full sheets of foundation in the sections (such 

 use of full sheets being considered right by the 

 largest part of our practical comb-honey pro- 

 ducers), then I should say it would pay to allow 

 the bees to fill the brood-frames with natural 

 comb. Each new swarm seems to go prepared 

 for a start at comb-building in its new home, 

 and such building seems to give them a greater 

 activity than they show if the hive is supplied 

 with empty combs or frames of foundation; 

 and I often think that, if the hive is contracted 

 so as to hold two-thirds of the number of frames 

 needed to fill the whole hive, this number of 

 combs will be built by the bees without the loss 

 of a single pound of honey to the apiarist, while 

 the cells will be very largely of the worker size, 

 unless an old or failing queen is used, in which 

 case little else besides drone comb will be the re- 

 sult, under any circumstances. 



But. really, the nicest way, where we decide 

 to have our combs built by the bees, is to set 

 apart each year all the colonies we may happen 

 to have, when the honey-flow commences, that 

 are not strong enough to do good work in the 

 sections, or upper stories of hives for extracted 

 honey; and as soon as the honey-flow com- 

 mences, take away all their combs, giving the 

 brood to other stronger colonies to make them 

 still stronger; when just what frames these 

 little colonies of bees can work on to the best 

 advantage are to be given them, each having a 

 starter of worker comb or comb foundation in 

 it, say from half an inch to an inch in depth. 

 In this way I can get the nicest of combs built; 

 and by taking them out in such a way as to 

 keep the bees desiring only worker brood, a 

 worth of combs may be obtained greater than 

 any value of honey which it would be possible 

 to produce with them. At least, this is the way 

 1 think I have proven the matter; and if any 

 are skeptical on this point, it will be very easy 

 for them to test the matter for themselves; and 



if the plan does not prove in their hands as it 

 does with others, then they can change to what 

 seems best with them. 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



Question. — I have a few colonies of bees 

 which I wish to winter in my cellar; but I fear 

 to put them in, as some of the family must go 

 into the cellar two or three times a day for 

 vegetables, and I fear this will be a damage to 

 the bees. Do you think such a cellar would do 

 for wintering bees? 



.^TiSMJer.— A cellar which will keep vegetables 

 well will answer well for wintering bees; and 

 going into it every day need not disturb the 

 bees, especially if they are placed so the light 

 does not strike them. If the cellar is dark, all 

 that is necessary is to hang a thick blanket in 

 front of the hives, or turn the entrances of the 

 hives toward the wall, so that the light from 

 the lamp shall not shine on them; or a part of 

 the cellar may be partitioned off so as to make 

 it dark The hives should be set from eight 

 inches to a foot from the ground, so as not to be 

 too damp, and the platform they rest upon 

 should be large enough for only one hive, and 

 rest on the bottom of the cellar; otherwise 

 when one hive is touched, all are jarred; and 

 any trembling of the floor above will cause an 

 uneasiness among the bees. The hives can be 

 piled on each other till they nearly touch to 

 floor above, but should not be connected with 

 it, or more than one tier with other tiers. The 

 full entrance should be given; and if a bottom- 

 board giving a two-inch space below the combs 

 (like Dr. Miller's) is used, so much the better.. 

 The bees should be set in from the middle of 

 November to the middle of December, on some 

 quiet day when the hives are not frozen to 

 their stands, if possible. It is generally thought 

 best to allow them to remain in the cellar till 

 soft maple and elm begin to bloom; but some 

 think it is better to set them out earlier, or as 

 soon as any colony on its summer stand obtains 

 pollen from any source. The right temperature 

 of a cellar to winter bees is from 42 to 46°; but 

 if fixed as given above they will do well as low 

 as 35 to 40°. If the cellar is one where the tem- 

 perature goes as low as the freezing-point, and 

 stays there for any length of time, I should 

 prefer to leave the bees on their summer stand; 

 for a continued temperature at about the freez- 

 ing-point, or a little below, seems to be very 

 injurious to bees confined in a cellar or room. 



an air-tight super for comb honey; dan- 

 zenbaker's reply. 

 I find a Miller Straw, that was hardly intend- 

 ed to break my back, but rather to break the 



