December, 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



723 



.^■^\ 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



thawed out until April. Water during a 

 February thaw eame into the cellar to a 

 depth of several inches. In about three 

 days it again turned cold and the water 

 froze so I could go to any part of the cellar 

 on the ice. After the freeze I covered the 

 bees as well as I could with robes and rag 

 carpet. The bees were in the middle of the 

 cellar on boards about three feet from the 

 cellar bottom. After the water and ice got 

 into the cellar it was so very cold and damp 

 I thought nothing could live there, so I left 

 the door leading from the kitchen directly 

 into the cellar open the most of the time. 

 It nearly froze me and didn 't seem to change 

 the air of the cellar much, but I was de- 

 termined those bees should live if possible. 

 The result was that I put seven swarms into 

 the cellar and took out six alive. The one 

 that died was weak when put into the cellar. 

 Two of the surviving colonies were weak but 

 built up. I now have 14 swarms ready for 

 the cellar, and sold $74 worth of honey this 

 season. 



Now, as to ventilation: When the wind 

 blew, one could feel the air stir anywhere 

 in that cellar and thruout the house. So the 

 bees had plenty of fresh air. When I first 

 had bees, I kept them in a large cellar, with 

 little or no loss, usually no loss at all, but 

 I always filled the room next the cellarway 

 with fresh air, then opened the cellar door. 



Last winter my bees were the quietest I 

 have ever known them. Not a sound from 

 them much of the time, but if I would give 

 a little tap on the hive there would be an 

 answering buzz. I have noticed when the 

 bees were buzzing loudly in the cellar of 

 my former home, if I would give them fresh 

 air, they would almost immediately quiet 

 down. Eva A. Brown. 



West Chazy, N. Y. 



[We can't explain how your bees wintered 

 under such very adverse conditions. It seems 

 almost miraculous. We certainly do not ad- 

 vise any one to try wintering in such a cel- 

 lar or any cellar at all like it. Dr. Miller 

 will perhaps give us his views on this very 

 exceptional wintering incident. — Editor.] 



INDIVIDUAL-HIVE WINDBREAKS 



A Device for Use at the Entrance Which Stops a 

 Wind Blast 



Recently J. F. Kight of Indianapolis, Ind., 

 called on us. He brought with him a little 

 device to attach to any standard Doolittle or 

 Langstroth hive to shut out the piercing 

 winds during winter, late fall, or early 

 spring. It consists of two parts — one an 

 entrance-contractor, as shown at A in the 

 illustration; and the other is a sort of storm- 

 door, with the entrance B on the opposite 

 side of the hive. The bees pass in at B, 



turn to the right, and enter the hive at the 

 contracted entrance A. A cold piercing 

 wind, while it could get into the hive, is 

 broken by the detour in such a way that the 

 bees are not chilled. 



Some years ago we tried a scheme in quite 

 an extensive way by leaning a board up 

 against the entrance. The bees on emerging 

 from the hive would pass out at the ends 

 of the boards; but we found in late fall that 

 the boards confused the bees, with the result 

 that many of them did not get into the hive. 

 A stormdoor like this, if used at all, should 

 be placed on the entrance in early fall, so 

 that the bees will get used to it. It may be 

 left on all winter and until late spring, 

 when it may be removed to provide better 

 ingress and egress. 



It is important to have the front of the 

 stormdoor flush or even with the alighting- 

 board. It is important to have the entrance 



Device for hive entrance to stop the admission of 

 wind blasts. 



fixed in such a way that there will be no 

 ledge or projection to catch snow and ice. 



Mr. Right's idea is shown by the illustra- 

 tion looks as if it might be a considerable 

 help, especially to colonies that do not have 

 a suitable windbreak. This form of storm- 

 door is only another form of windbreak; 

 and perhaps the question might be raised 

 whether a large, high board fence would be 

 necessary when individual stormdoors or 

 windbreaks are used. The purpose of the 

 high board fence is two-fold — to prevent 

 cold air from shooting into the entrance, and 

 also to prevent a cold wind from striking 

 the sides of the hive. When a cold wind 

 strikes the side of a house, notwithstanding 

 no air can penetrate the windows and doors, 

 it takes more heat to warm the house. The 

 same principle applies especially in the case 

 of a hive. A cold atmosphere when the air 



