260 



THE BEE-KEEPERS REVIEv,, 



heat generated by the colony and when the 

 temperature becomes sufflciently low, we 

 find a consequent condensation of moisture. 

 Under such circumstances a slow upward 

 current is necessary to carry it off. In order 

 to accomplish it planer shavings or chaff 

 should be used in the tray instead 

 of saw dust. The reader will readily 

 comprehend that an upward current can 

 only be obtained at an expense of the vital- 

 ity of the colony, and in consequence must 

 draw largely upon their stores to maintain 

 the requsite degree of warmth. This ex- 

 plains why the consumption of food is 

 greater in out-door wintering than in cel- 

 lars or special repositories. Let us bear in 

 mind that the converse is also true with a 

 perfect system of out-door wintering. 

 Never in all my life-experience with special 

 repositories or cellars has the consumption 

 of food been less, than with hives properly 

 prepared for open air wintering. 



With sufficient packing on all sides and 

 bottom together with suitable entrance 

 protection, the warmth of the colony is al- 

 most wholly conserved. A hive without 

 entrance protection may be compared to a 

 house with suitable warming appliances and 

 having the door left open. I often have 

 wondered why so many have attempted to 

 construct warm hives, and leave the front 

 door wide open. Of course to contract the 

 entrance of an ordinary hive without first 

 constructing some anti-clogging arrange- 

 ment would prove disastrous — the result 

 would be soffocation. 



Without packing an increased ameunt of 

 food is consumed necessitating an undue 

 number of cleansing flights, which is one 

 cause of dysentery. 



I have found three essentials prominent 

 in successful out-door wintering. Outside 

 packing — entrance protection— and a small 

 filth chamber or box below the entrance to 

 receive all dead bees which are carried there 

 during warm spells. This prevents all 

 clogging which is so common with the 

 ordinary entrance. 



Having given the three requisites in hive 

 construction for sucessful out door winter- 

 ing let us endeavor to approximate the com- 

 bination, using the ordinary hive. Of 

 course it will be imperfect compared with 

 hives made especially for the purpose. 

 First of all let us make, composed of slats 

 two inches wide, set two inches apart per- 

 pendicular to each other, a crate, in size 



when completed, four inches larger inside 

 measurement, than the hive, and about six 

 or eight inches deeper. At the bottom two 

 cleats two inches wide are set edgewise to 

 support a bottom board H inch thick of the 

 8 ime length and width as the hive. At the 

 entrance end an opening should be cut two 

 in. wide by three inches long for the dead 

 bees to drop through into the vestibule to be 

 placed at the front as will be described in 

 another paragraph. To give room for this 

 opening the front cleat should be set two 

 inches from the end of the bottom board. 

 It will be found best to nail the cleats to 

 the bottom board first then put them to- 

 gether into the crate using a nail or two to 

 secure in position after packing underneath 

 the same. 



The vestibule entrance may be a small 

 box made of }i inch lumber 2 inch deep, 

 about 8 inch square. It should be placed 

 with the open side against the hive front, 

 and a 2 inch x }4. inch opening or entrance 

 cut half way up opening between two slats 

 of the crate. From this entrance to the 

 one proper a two inch slat should incline for 

 the bees to travel. It may be secured by 

 nailing to a block beveled on the top and 

 nailed to the front of the vestibule box. 

 The inclination prevents all tendency to be- 

 come clogged with dead bees. No alight- 

 ing board is required to this small entrance. 

 The tendency to clog with snow makes it 

 objectionable. 



A simple cover for the crate should be 

 made which will fit over all with a roof in- 

 clined sufficiently to allow the water to run 

 off. A slatted roof will answer provided 

 the slates run downwards and are covered 

 with oil-cloth nailed on the outside edges. 

 Oil-cloth makes a good wi-iter roof if 

 left undisturbed as it cracks very easily 

 when cold. The heat of summer softens 

 and destroys it. With the vestibule or box 

 entrance placed at the bottom of the crate, 

 which is two inches lower than the hive, 

 the whole may be packed with leaves and 

 straw. The leaves should be placed under- 

 neath the bottom board and straw at the 

 sides. A piece of burlap or muslin ( the 

 latter is preferable ) should be placed over 

 the frames, and leaves or chaff over all. 

 The cover should be secured in place with a 

 nail or two as security against strong winds. 

 No fears need be entertained as to the sides 

 getting water soaked, the hive being suffi- 

 cient protection against moisture. Even if 



