IlDE^rOTEID EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES -A.3STE) HOISTEY. 



Vol. IL 



FEBRUARY 1, 1874. 



No. II 



HOW TO CONDUCT AN AP1AKV. 



No. 2. 



We are happy to add that up to this date, 

 Jan. 24th, no reports of disease have been re- 

 ceived, but as it made its appearance last win- 

 ter in many places only after this date, we can- 

 not be certain as yet in regard to the matter. 

 Our winter has been as yet quite a mild one in 

 this locality there having been but three or 

 four days when the temperature approached 

 zero. As our colonies are unusually weak this 

 winter our Bee house has not kept up the tem- 

 perature as well as formerly, in fact we found 

 it as low as 30° on one occasion and before we 

 t-ould start a fire in our stove and warm the 

 room up, one of our weakest colonies had died. 



An examination showed clean combs and no 

 trace of disease, but the cluster had dwindled 

 down until not half a handful of bees were left 

 when the low temperature finished them; they 

 perished in the midst of clean sealed stores. 



Messrs. Shaw & Son of Chatham, this Co., al- 

 so report having lost quite a number under the 

 same circumstances and now unite with us in 

 pronouncing all attempts to winter Nuclei, but 

 a "vexatious bother". 



We discovered that during very cold weather 

 the lower ventilator could be closed entirely 

 without bad results, and as this kept the 

 room much warmer we consider it best, during 

 very cold weather. Our friend Shane, a few 

 miles distant, gives the same experience and 

 his colonies are many of them quite strong; he 

 also covered the ventilator with a piece of 

 c-loth to make it perfectly tight. 



With the loss of the "cider fed" colony men- 

 tioned on another page, our number now 

 counts only 55 instead of 57. 



There seems to be a tendency to an opinion, 

 much favored by both Mrs. Tupper and Mr. 

 Quinby, that moving stocks during extreme 

 cold weather is very injurious, and is sufficient 

 to produce dysentery. Such may be the case 

 with bees fed on natural stores, but 'tis most 

 assuredly not the case with those sugar fed, for 

 ours the greater part of them were re-housed 

 the last of Feb., last winter when the tempera- 

 ture was 4° below zero; see Gleanings for 

 March, page 20. No bad results followed and 

 no trace of dysentery other than that of some 

 weak nuclei that were diseased before in con- 

 sequence of being fed late and being too weak 

 to seal it up. The Quinby hive with all natu- 

 ral stores and, that had not been disturbed in 

 any way at all, were badly affected and soon 

 died although strong in numbers. 



If Mr. Q. would give the address instead of 



just the county and state, we might write to 

 Mr. Elwood and ascertain whether those colo- 

 onies he mentions as having the disease so 

 badly, were fed with the syrup early enough 

 in the season to give them a chance to seal it 

 up. Even should his experiment have given 

 no result in favor of sugar stores it only proves 

 that sugar is not ahcayn a preventive; the large 

 amount of testimony given during the past 

 three seasons pointing clearly in favor of the 

 sugar, should also be respected. 



We had supposed plain cases plenty, where 

 it had appeared in its worst form when the bees 

 were housed in the warmest quarters, but we 

 shall be agreeably surprised if we find we hava 

 been mistaken. In regard to fastening the bees 

 in the hives by wire cloth in winter as we have 

 described, we are at present decidedly pleased 

 with the plan. During warm spells many go 

 out in the porticos that fail to get back, but 

 with the space below the frames as iu the Sim- 

 plcity hives we have no such trouble. 



I put my bees into winter quarters about the 10th of 

 November. 1 think they are in"spleudid" condition. 

 If the weather is suitable how soon would you advise 

 to set thorn out tor a 'yfy"? How warm should the 

 Aveather.be in order to no it with safety ? 



S. F. Newman, Norwalk," Ohio. 



We would not advise putting them out at 

 all for a "fly" unless they seem uneas}- and im- 

 patient of confinement, and not even then un- 

 less some veiw fine weather appears in Jan. or 

 Feb. The air should be warm enough for a 

 bee to take wing again, even should it alight 

 in the shade, or many may be lost in their anx- 

 iety to fly after being shut in so long, not be- 

 ing able to regain the hive. If stores are 

 wholesome and ventilation proper they can 

 endure confinement for four mouths or more 

 as has often been proven. Warm weather in 

 winter is so apt to change suddenly for the re- 

 verse that we must consider taking them out 

 for a "fly" a risky operation at any time, al- 

 though should several quite warm days and 

 nights occur in succession 'twould without 

 doubt be a gain to give them a taste of the 

 open air and thus encourage brood-rearing a 

 little. 



Taking them out by moonlight in the eve- 

 ning would be an excellent way, could we al- 

 ways be •'"?•< that the ensuing clay would be a 

 pleasant one, thus giving them time to quiet 

 down before morning, and obviating the dan- 

 ger of their rushing out in a demoralized body, 

 with* i" taking the usual points of their home. 

 IV pure to give each one their accustomed 

 stand for they will remember it under such 

 tir n out lis or more. 



