DKCEMBTK 15. 19i; 



1015 



Conversations with Doolittle 



At Borodino, New York. 



CELLAR WIXTERiNG FOR BEES. 



S" I understand you have been 

 successful in wintering bees in the 

 ceUar. Last winter I was not suc- 

 cessful in outdoor wintering. Bees 

 died on the bottom-board during 



February and March, and dwin- 

 died badly in April and May. I wish to try 

 cellar wintering. Is there danger of keep- 

 ing the cellar too warm?" 



With good pure air, 60 to 65 degrees of 

 heat might be borne for a few days; but 

 should that be kept up for four or five 

 weeks it would doubtless start the bees to 

 breeding, which would be vei-y undesirable, 

 especially during the first half of the win- 

 ter. Then such a high temperature would 

 be liable to cause a loss of bees from their 

 leaving their hives and flying toward the 

 light, if there was any crevice thi-ough which 

 the light could penetrate; and if the cellar 

 was totally dark, those that left the hive 

 will be lost on the cellar bottom. We have 

 been told that the bees that leave the hive 

 would probably die of old age under any 

 circumstances, and that their loss on the 

 cellar bottom is better than to have them 

 die in the hive. This may be quite largely 

 true when the temperature of the cellar is 

 kept below the point at which bees are 

 accustomed to seek the open air; but when 

 that point is exceeded, my experience has 

 been that they begin to seek the open air; 

 and the longer their confinement at a high 

 temperature, the greater is that inclination 

 till a loss comes about which is detrimental 

 to very many of the colonies. 



I am satisfied that fifty degrees is too 

 high a temperature for successful winter- 

 ing. Cellars differ; but the right tempera- 

 ture, as determined by the quietness of the 

 bees, will generally be found to be between 

 42 and 47 degrees. Much also depends on 

 the strength of tlie colonies. Weak colonies 

 will boar a much higher temperature than 

 the strong ones; but with all weak colonies 

 it will be harder to get and keep the higher 

 temperature without artificial heat. 



" My cellar is 20 by 30 feet and 8 feet 

 deep, and I wish to put 60 colonies in it." 

 With a cellar of that size and the number 

 of colonies mentioned I should judge that 

 the bees would winter all right without any 

 special attention to ventilation. From past 

 experience I should expect that your trou- 

 ble, if any, would come through the matter 

 of temperature rather than ventilation. The 

 normal winter temperature of most cellars 



is generally too low for the successful win- 

 tel"ing of bees. If the cellar mentioned is 

 an average one the successful wintering of 

 so small a number as 60 colonies in it may 

 require strict attention. The reason of this 

 is that 60 colonies, without aid, would hard- 

 ly keep the room warm enough. 



If the temperature of the cellar goes no 

 lower than 37 degrees in the severest weath- 

 er when it contained no bees, it pi'obably 

 would be all right for 60 colonies; but 

 should it go to 28 or 30, then more bees or 

 some other way of raising the temperature 

 would be required to make successful win- 

 tering certain. It is well to remember that 

 a cellar which is warm in very severe weath- 

 er will be cool in warm weather; and a 

 cellar that is too cold in severe weather is 

 apt to become too warm in a mild or warm 

 spell in winter; and with such a cellar one 

 is almost at a loss to know just what to do 

 at one extreme or the other. 



" How about getting the bees in the 

 cellar? Is it necessaiy to use smoke? 



r never use smoke when setting bees in 

 the cellar; and if care is used, no smoke is 

 necessary. Be careful about unduly dis- 

 turbing them. Put them in at a time when 

 they are not easily stirred. If tliroi;gh any 

 mishap a colony is likely to be thoroughly 

 aroused, they can be kept in the hive by 

 using a cloth of sufficient size to cover the 

 entrance fully. Make the cloth pretty wet, 

 and put it up snug against the entrance so 

 as to exclude all light. However, this wet 

 cloth must be removed as soon as the bees 

 are in the cellar, otherwise a scramble to 

 get out may result in the loss of the colony 

 through overheating and lack of air. Take 

 the bees in on a dark day if possible, when 

 there is little wind, with the temperature 

 between 35 and 45 degrees. 



Prying hives up in freezing weather will 

 unduly distui'b any colony. See to it be- 

 forehand that there be no undue noise, 

 cracking, or jarring, when they come to be 

 taken in ; then when the time comes to take 

 them in, pick each hive up firmly but gen- 

 tly, can-ying it to i*^s winter restingplace, 

 selling it in place as gently as it was taken 

 from its stand. Two men with a rope of 

 suitable length can cari-y bees in, so that 

 they will hardly know that they have been 

 moved. And one man with a spring wheel- 

 barrow can do nearly or quite as well by 

 using a heavy blanket or quilt folded so 

 there will be several tliieknesses between 

 the hive and the wheelbarrow. 



