92 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' MEVIE . 



few out from time to time on favorable 

 days uutil April 14, when the last, a baker's 

 dozen, were placed on their summer stands. 

 The examinations during and after the re- 

 moval disclosed the following results; thir- 

 teen colonies dead or so nearly so that the 

 bees still living were of no value. I say 

 dead though three of the thirteen had left 

 their hives and combs clean and free of 

 dead bees and honey, showing that tliey had 

 each probably united with the colony above 

 or below, the honey being conveyed thither 

 also. Two had starved, two had perished 

 from weakness resulting from queenlessness, 

 one with a bottom board had apparently 

 smothered from the entrance having be- 

 come clogged and the rest had apparently 

 died of dysentery. The dead bees from the 

 cellar floor measured six well packed bush- 

 els amounting, I estimate, to a loss on the 

 average of three pints of bees from each col- 

 ony. Moreover, there had undoubtedly been 

 considerable breeding during the latter part 

 of winter as was shown by the remains of 

 immature brood and imperfect young bees 

 among the debris that had fallen from the 

 hives. On removal from the cellar the bees 

 from most of the colonies spotted their 

 hives and suriounding objects on taking 

 their tirst flight, yet they were clean and 

 seemed strong both physically and numeri- 

 cally—most of the colonies being of about 

 the same strength as when placed in the 

 cellar. In most of the hives also, contain- 

 ing plenty of stores, there were at the time 

 of removal considerable amounts of capped 

 brood, and in one strong colony was discov- 

 ered a nice patch of capped drone brood. 



What the full effect of this cellar breed- 

 ing will be remains to be seen for it is yet 

 too early to pronounce a safe judgement. 

 For a longtime I have felt a fear that there 

 was a store of evil laid up in the future for 

 colonies guilty of breeding in continement, 

 but I have had heretofore no case thnt would 

 serve so satisfactorily as a test as the pres- 

 ent one and I shall look forward with con- 

 siderable interest to the outcome. 



One other result of warm wintering' re- 

 mains yet to he noticed, and that is the 

 amount of stores consumed. I can only 

 show this result in the case of poor to medi- 

 um colonies, for those of this class only 

 were weighed in the fall. It is necessary to 

 bear this in mind because the stronger the 

 colonies the greater will be the average 

 amount consumed. The results in brief on 



this point areas follows: eleven colonies in 

 two section H. hives averaging in the fall, 

 shortly before being put into winter quar- 

 ters, M.T2 pounds averaged in the spring 35. 

 '11 pounds, showing an average consump- 

 tion of almost fifteen and a half pounds. The 

 heaviest colony of this lot consumed 21 

 pounds, and two others 19 pounds each. 

 Seven other colonies in single section H. 

 hives weighed on the average in the fall 40.78 

 pounds, and in the spring 29.07, showing an 

 average consumption of nearly elevtn and 

 three- fourths pounds. 



This is a consumption of stores of from 

 fifty to one hundred per cent, in excess of 

 anything I have heretofore known when the 

 bees had in my estimation wintered tolera- 

 bly well. Of course if this extra consump- 

 tion results in an appreciable advantage to 

 the colonies it is well, but if it causes also 

 an abatement of the vitality of the bees it is 

 greatly to be deprecated. 



In conclusion it will be noticed that I took 

 out the bees much earlier than is usually 

 recommended, for there are no signs yet 

 of the opening of soft maple blossoms, 

 the time which is generally set as 

 the most desirable for that operation. 

 The greater my experience the more 

 I am inclined to the desirability of early 

 removal from winter quarters. Wlien most 

 good colonies stand exposure, without extra 

 protection, to the weather of the entire win- 

 ter, it would seem that it should go with- 

 out saying that any colony should stand the 

 vicissitudes of early April without serious in- 

 jury, and I have found, at least to my own 

 satisfaction, that it is so. There are sever- 

 al substantial advantages in early removal: 



1. There is much greater comfort in the 

 labor of removal. 



2. A few only need be taken out on any one 

 day. 



8. There is little or none of the crazy 

 out-rusliing and com-mingling of the bees 

 of different colonies. 



4. The bees settle down to honest work 

 more quickly and permanently and 



i"). The beginnings of attemps to rob are 

 much more easily and effectively prevented, 

 and much vexatious watching is thereby 

 rendered unnecessary. 



Lapeeb, Mich. 



April 17, 1897 



