218 



GLEANINGS IN 13EE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



in the other. In this respect, I consider the un- 

 painted hive much better suited to the wants of the 

 bees, and contend that bees will not do nearly as 

 well in painted hives as they will in an unpainted 

 one. Wherein is an unpainted hive better than a 

 painted one? Principally in this, that, if properly 

 covered, it will keep the bees dryer at all seasons of 

 the year, and, owing- to this dryness, they are con- 

 sequently much warmer. As unpainted wood is 

 porous, the moisture evaporates through all parts 

 of the hive, keeping- the bees warm, dry, and quiet, 

 thus avoiding- an undue consumption of honey, as 

 well as bee-diarrhea. Several years ag-o I had a 

 number of box hives, some of which were painted, 

 while others were not. I set them out of the cellar 

 about the first of April, in as near an equal condi- 

 tion as could be. In the morning- after every cold 

 frosty night, there would be water running out of 

 the entrance of those that were painted, and on 

 tipping them up the combs were found to be quite 

 wet near the outside of them, or next the walls of 

 the hive, while those in unpainted hives were dry 

 and nice, no water ever showing even at the en- 

 trance. Those in the unpainted hives increased in 

 numbers faster, and swarmed from one to two 

 weeks earlier, than did those in the painted hives. 



" But," says one, "I use corncobs, cut straw, for- 

 est-leaves, and other absorbents in the top of the 

 hive, to get the moisture out, by letting any excess 

 that may arise pass through them and out at the 

 top of the cover." This will help some as far as the 

 moisture is concerned ; but if not done on a scien- 

 tific plan, it will let out much of the heat by such a 

 direct-draft process, which should be retained in 

 the hive. Even if done properly, I can not help 

 thinking that hives will keep bees better if un- 

 painted, because in this case the moisture passes 

 out of the hive in all directions. Paint is useful 

 only so far as looks and durability are concerned, 

 and is positively injurious as retarding the evapo- 

 ration of moisture. This is the result which I have 

 arrived at, after years of experience and close ob- 

 servation with single-walled hives, and I believe 

 the damage is greater by far than the cost of a new 

 hive occasionally, where ordinary hives are used. 



So far I wish it understood that I have been 

 speaking only of such hives as we used a quarter of 

 a century ago, and not of the chaff hives of the 

 present day. With the advent of the chaff hives 

 came a new era in bee-keeping, and the case with 

 these is entirely different, along this line of paint- 

 ing, than with the single-walled hive. With the 

 chaff hive the moisture is driven through the first 

 wall, which is always of unpainted lumber, just the 

 same as it would be in case of an unpainted single- 

 walled hive, after which it lodges in the chaff or 

 other packing, from which it passes out slowly 

 through any crack or crevice which may exisr in 

 the outer shell, and more largely about the joint in 

 the top of the cover and between the cover and the 

 hive. I use a cap or hood six inches deep, on all of 

 my chaff hives, while directly over the bees is a 

 sawdust cushion, which is only four inches thick. 

 This cushion extends out over the chaff packing 

 only an inch or so on all sides, or only sufficient to 

 make sure that all the upward ventilation that can 

 possibly exist must pass through this cushion, and 

 also so as to make sure that no bees can get up into 

 the cap. This leaves the larger share of the chaff 

 walls uncovered except by the cap, so t hat whatever 

 moisture escapes through the walls of the inner 



hive into the chaff can at once pass up into the 

 cap, and out through the cracks of the same, in all 

 mild weather, which it also does to a certain extent 

 on very cold days; yet in zero weather, where the 

 same lasts for several days, I will find the inside of 

 the cap all frosted over, which shows what an 

 amount of moisture is continually passing from the 

 bees. I think that, from this passing-off of the 

 moisture as given above, comes the reason, largely, 

 why bees winter so much better in chaff-packed 

 hives, rather than that the extra protection has all 

 to do with it, as some claim. Bees can endure any 

 amount of cold which we ever experience in the 

 U. S., provided they are kept dry; but dampness 

 and wet they are not able to stand, where cold is 

 added to it. From this comes the reason that bees 

 winter tolerably well in a warm damp cellar, while 

 with the same degree of dampness outdoors they 

 generally perish; or if in such surroundings in any 

 place where the tnercuiy stays below the freezing- 

 point for any length of time, as it necessarily must 

 in our Northern clime. In this we get a little clew 

 to add to the others, which, as a whole, causes our 

 wintering troubles, for I believe these troubles do 

 not rest on any one thing entirely. In accordance 

 with my belief, as expressed in this article, I paint 

 all of my double-walled or chaff hives, and leave all 

 of the rest unpainted, considering that in doing so 

 I am as near right as possible, taking all things into 

 consideration. If any of the readers of Gleanings 

 think that I am wrong, a trial of a few hives in each 

 way will convince them which is right. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Borodino, N. Y., March 1, 1889. 



I have for years, friend D., been pretty 

 well satisfied that what you say is true. An 

 old board with outsides somewhat decayed 

 is warmer, and better for a bee-hive, than a 

 sound board so thoroughly paiuted that it is 

 as hard and cold, almost, as a marble slab. 

 The old board partakes somewhat of the 

 nature of the walls of the old straw hive. 

 Since you mention it, I do remember of 

 having seen water run out of well-painted 

 hives, in the spiirg of the year, but I am 

 pretty sure there would have been no such 

 ice and condensation inside had the hive 

 been unpainted, although I never thought 

 of it until you suggested it. I am glad to 

 know that your experience with chaff hives 

 is like my own. Now, somebody is contin- 

 ually improving our chaff hives by making 

 an outside shell < £ wide boards instead of 

 slats something after the fashion of a corn- 

 crib, as we make then. And while we are 

 discussing this matter I want to say that 

 my opinion has been for some time that the 

 inside of a chaff hive would be better if 

 made of common plastering-lath than as it 

 is now. The principal objection to it is, 

 that 't would be more work. Some friend 

 has adopted the plan of making the boards 

 of this inside shell of thin lumber, perforat- 

 ed with holes ; and as this was discussed in 

 the journals some years ago, I wish the 

 friend who had the idea would tell us how it 

 answers for a wintering hive. Of course, if 

 we make the outside exposed to the weather, 

 with narrow slats, we must have these slats 

 beveled on their edges, so as to let the water 

 run down the outside as much as possible, 

 instead of going through and wetting the 

 chaff. 



