176 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CCLTURB 



Examination of the colonies in the indi- 

 vidual double-walled packed hives showed 

 that there was unquestionably a gi-eater 

 mortality. In fact, about 30 per cent of the 

 colonies were dead outright. On opening 

 up the hives we found the clusters actually 

 starved to death, with plenty of stores with- 

 in two combs' distance, either on one or 

 both sides, because the weather remained 

 cold so continuously. 



In the quadruple packing-cases we found 

 no such conditions. Not a single colony was 

 dead, and on the day of our examination the 

 bees were spread over the combs as they 

 would be in the summer. The ten or twelve 

 inches of packing all around is undoubtedly 

 warmer than two or three inches of packing. 



There is another condition that may not 

 be all in favor of these big quadruple cases : 

 The bees were so warmly packed that the 

 clusters apparently never really formed 

 except in extreme zei'o weather. The danger 

 is that this condition will lead to brood- 

 rearing prematurely, sap the vitality of the 

 bees, and possiblj' weaken or kill them by 

 spring. The question is, then, " Is it possi- 

 ble to overdo this matter of packing?" 

 There is a certain advantage in having a 

 colony during winter in a nice compact 

 cluster. In that condition there is less ac- 

 tivity, less consumption of stores, and no 

 brood-rearing. Such a colony, we knoAv, 

 will winter well. Now, then, will the colony 

 that never clusters all winter, or seldom does 

 so, do as well as one that is in a compact 

 ball practically all winter? The sequel will 

 show this spring. 



We have examined the colonies in single- 

 walled hives at our home yard. They were 

 powerful colonies early in the fall, and are 

 showing up nicely now. Indeed, their clus- 

 ter formations are ideal. When we go from 

 one of these hives into one of the colonies 

 in quadruple packed cases we find the clus- 

 ter not formed but scattered; but the bees 

 under the glass covers seem to be perfectly 

 healthy, and appear to be just about as 

 they look in summer. One thing we know is 

 there are a good many more bees in front of 

 the single-walled hives than those that are 

 packed. This fact is plainly noticeable. It 

 is easy to see that there is a continuous 

 decimation of the unpacked colonies; and if 

 ■this continues long, the balls of bees will 

 grow smaller and smaller, and finally die. 



As previously related, we have sixty colo- 

 nies packed in quadruple packing-cases at 

 the Blakeslee yard. The colonies in diago- 

 nally opposite corners of the cases are cov- 

 ered with sheets of glass the full size of tlie 

 top of the hive not sealed down. The other 



two colonies in the same case, also diagonal- 

 ly opposite, are covered with wire-cloth 

 screens, the same as are used in moving the 

 bees in summer. Over this screen is placed 

 a sheet of burlap, and over the whole about 

 ten inches of planer-shavings. 



It will be readily seen that we have a 

 condition of semi-sealed covers in one pair 

 of colonies, and full upward ventilation for 

 the escai)e of moisture for the other pair, 

 both in the same case. Over the colonies 

 with upward ventilation we find moisture in 

 the packing. Over the hives covered with 

 glass there is no such moisture. The rela- 

 tive diffei'ence between the two sets of colo- 

 nies is not great ; but the difference, so far 

 as we can determine, is in favor of the 

 semi-sealed or glass covers. Of course there 

 is no particular merit in glass other than it 

 affords us observation without much dis- 

 turbance, the same as through the wire cloth. 



Our Mr. Rea says that when the weather 

 is extremely cold he has observed repeatedly 

 that the colonies in these cases having up- 

 ward ventilation during and between the 

 cold spells, with the mercury around zero, 

 Avill form into compact clusters, while those 

 under glass are nearer the top than the 

 clusters that are less compact. It seems 

 very clear to us that the semi-sealed cover 

 makes a warmer housing for the bees. We 

 shall give reports from now on till sjjring 

 of the relative conditions of the bees in all 

 the various packings. 



N. B. — Saturday, Feb. 13, was warm and 

 balmy. The bees flew as though it were 

 spring. The colonies in the large packing- 

 cases were examined, and found to be in 

 excellent condition. There seems to have 

 been no bad effects from the clogged en- 

 trances as mentioned above. A few colonies 

 were opened, and we found the queen just 

 beginning to lay a few eggs, evidently from 

 the stimulus of the warm day and the conse- 

 quent activity of flying. We did not find 

 brood in all stages as we expected. It is 

 very evident that they did no brood-rearing 

 during the extremely cold weather, in spite 

 of the fact that they were so warmly housed. 



Tlie cellar bees are becoming a little rest- 

 less, and a few more of them are showing 

 signs of dysentery. All those that were 

 spotting the alighting-boards at the en- 

 trances of their hives were placed out on 

 Saturday and given a good cleansing flight. 

 We are now waiting for a warm day when 

 they will all be hustled out and allowed to 

 clean up. 



Later.— That warm day came Saturday, 

 Feb. 20, wlien all tho bees were carried out 

 for a good flv. 



