490 



different queens, the mother-instinct pre- 

 dominates, and the queen will lay eggs in 

 queen-cells, and at no other time. Hence 

 cells built with a laying queen present are 

 always supersedure cells resulting in super- 

 sedure of swarming according to the condi- 

 tion of the queen, colony, and honey-flow. 



When we understand bee nature and the 

 laws that govern the swarming impulse we 

 can prevent it intelligently and economical- 

 ly by the following method: At the begin- 

 ning of clover bloom make all colonies 

 strong by uniting and equalizing, and take 

 two combs covered with bees, including the 

 queen, from each fourteen-frame hive, sub- 

 stituting empty combs and a ripe queen-cell 

 in a cell-protector. The two combs and 

 queen are placed in a thin-walled wintering- 

 chamber for increase at the close of the 

 basswood harvest. 



THE INCREASE PROBLEM. 



Ordinary methods of forming increase are 

 objectionable on account of the labor in- 

 volved in building up nuclei by stimulative 

 feeding and by peddling combs of brood. 

 Hence a more rapid and economical method 

 is imperative when much increase is desired. 

 A competent hive contains all the material 

 for 100 per cent increase in full-sized colo- 

 nies simply by utilizing extra combs and 

 bees on hand at the close of the harvest. 

 Here is the method: At the close of the 

 basswood harvest, after the honey crop is 

 secured, the hives are literally overflowing 

 with bees and brood, and this is the time to 

 form increase economically. Cage the 

 queens in the nuclei mentioned under 

 swarming, and take six combs containing 

 brood covered with bees from each four- 

 teen-frame hive, placing them in each nu- 

 cleus hive which now holds 8 combs, and 

 the parent colony will also have 8 combs, 

 and both have laying queens. I regard 8 

 frames as a practical wintering colony, and 

 give no more except in case of an unusual 

 fall honey-flow. In this way a competent 

 hive solves the increase problem with the 

 utmost economy, securing 100 per cent in- 

 crease and a full crop of surplus honey 

 while paving the way for an economical 

 solution of the wintering problem. 



THE WINTERING PROBLEM. 



Ordinary methods of outdoor wintering 

 consist of enclosing hives in winter cases 

 with suitable packing between. Winter 

 cases are idle seven months of the year. 

 The thick inner walls and thin outer walls 

 are poor protection. In a northern winter 

 sunny days are scarce, and chilling winds 

 are the general rule. It is advisable to 

 make the outer case of thick lumber and 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



the inner case of thin material that the heat 

 may penetrate the packing and maintain an 

 even temperature in the inner chamber, 

 which should be contracted to the fewest 

 combs required to hold sufficient stores. The 

 convertible principle makes a competent 

 hive serve as a winter case providing per- 

 fect winter protection with no extra equip- 

 ment except a thin-walled inner chamber 12 

 inches wide inside and 12 inches deep, made 

 from old packing-boxes. These are used in 

 summer for nuclei, increase, etc., and are 

 not idle cai^ital. Since half the colonies are 

 already in their wintering chambers these 

 are i:)laeed on the floor inside a regular 

 fourteen-frame hive lengthwise, and the 

 frames at right angles to their accustomed 

 position, and at right angles with the en- 

 trance which is at the end. This creates a 

 space of 21/2 inches surrounding the inner 

 chamber except the front end, which is 

 pushed up tight against the hive with a 

 heavy sheet of insulating paper between. 

 The extra depth of the inner chamber (12 

 inches) provides a space of 2^2 inches 

 under the combs, while a full-sized upper 

 story holds 8 inches of packing on top of 

 the inner chamber. The whole is kept snug 

 and dry by a three-inch water-proof cover. 

 The parent colonies are treated in like man- 

 ner, and all are snug and cozy in their 

 winter nests at a cost of 25 cents for equip- 

 ment as useful in summer as in winter. 



With an outer case Vs inch thick, and an 

 inner chamber V2 inch thick protected with 

 heat-retaining packing, the temperature on 

 both sides of the inner walls will be practi- 

 cally the same, especially with extreme con- 

 traction of the winter nest, which is the key 

 to successful outdoor wintering. Moisture 

 will not condense, but is conducted out 

 through the entrance after evei^y particle of 

 heat is utilized to maintain a normal winter 

 temperature without extra consumption of 

 food. Heat is generated hj the oxidation 

 of food and vital energy expended in mus- 

 cular exercise. To allow heat to escape from 

 the Avinter nest by upward ventilation 

 through porous packing, erroneously called 

 an " absorbent," wastes bee energy. Sealed 

 covers on the inner chambers under the 

 packing pi-eserve the heat. This principle 

 is thoroughly scientific, and requires ex- 

 treme contraction in a well-protected hive 

 with an enti-ance % x 10 or 12 inches to 

 conduct away humidity bj^ diffusion with 

 the circulation of air in the deep air-cham- 

 ber under the combs. I began with a six- 

 tecn-frame brood-chamber, but soon dis- 

 covered that while bees, if crowded for 

 room, will adapt their work to existing hive 

 proportions, they have a decided preference 



