642 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



October, 1919 



are held by slats rabbeted 18 by 1/4- Thru 

 these rabbets are two sets of small holes in 

 which nails are placed to hold the glass at 

 the desired height, either to close the open- 

 ing entirely or to lower the glass, leaving an 

 opening at the top for the escape of bees. 



On the outside each window is covered 

 with wire cloth extending about 3 inches 

 above the window, and held off from the 

 building 14 inch to allow the escape of bees. 



There are, also, three small openings, 5 

 by 20, near the roof. These are covered 

 with wire cloth in the same manner, per- 

 mitting bees, smoke, and foul air to escape 

 readily. These openings are never closed. 

 The building is now on 6 by 6 sills, a small 

 dugout underneath, two trapdoors in the 

 floor, with a screened window in the south 

 end underneath, and a tile-drain pipe at the 

 lowest point to take out any surface water. 



Colonies are on the east side and south 

 end only, the other side being used for work- 

 shop and storage. The honey-extractor is 

 set on this floor just behind the pile of su- 

 pers at the right in the photo, and honey 

 runs into sap-tubs under the floor thru fine 

 wire-cloth strainers, and is handled in these 

 sixteen-quart tin sap-tubs until melted for 

 sale. The building at eight feet is not wide 

 enough for convenience. 



Method of Packing. 



The photo of the inside shows the method 

 of packing. Two frames are taken from the 

 ten-frame brood-nest, Hoffman frames, the 

 other eight being at the back. A regular- 



Inside view of apiai-y house, showing hees packed 

 for winter. 



sized chaff division-board is slid down in 

 front, care being taken that it does not 

 cover the entrance. The three middle combs 

 are slightly separated so as to widen the 

 spaces between them. Over the frames are 

 placed two short sticks about one inch 

 square, or, preferably, a common fifty-cigar 

 box has its cover nailed on, and is then 

 sawed thru the center lengthwise so as to 

 form two shallow boxes, one of whicli i^ 

 turned over each colony. Over this is spread 

 a piece of carpet or burlap, and over this, 

 at the back, is put a piece of enamel or oil- 



cloth, using care that there be a one-inch 

 sjjace of the burlap toward the frames from 

 the outside that is not covered by the oil- 

 cloth, this space being directly over the en- 

 trance. The purpose of this space is to per- 

 mit a freer avenue for ventilation directly 

 over the entrance. This arrangement leaves 

 no possibility of draft thru the cluster of 

 bees, yet permits the escape of all moisture 

 upward into the packing at the front, where 

 it is readily dried by the sun shining thru 

 the window. Over the top is then spread 

 some planer shavings, pressed down closely 

 in the corners. Next is put on the sack of 

 shavings, about five or six inches thick. 

 There is four inches of packing on all four 

 sides besides the two-inch chaff division- 

 board at the front. The inside-view photo 

 shows the three six-inch boards in place 

 holding the packing. I used to unpack for 

 the summer; but now I take off only the top- 

 board, leaving the rest of the packing dur- 

 ing the summer. 



My Management. 



And now we come to the management. I 

 plan to begin in July, for that is the time 

 to see that all colonies have a good queen so 

 as to insure the hatching of a large force 

 of bees from August 20 to October 1. I 

 provide each colony with 28 to 33 pounds of 

 stores (I prefer to have about one-half full 

 of honey and then give, for the other half 

 of their supply, sugar syrup fed early in Oc- 

 tober, which will then be placed where it 

 will be used for winter consumption. When 

 feeding I use two-quart glass jars on the 

 pepper-box principle. Next I pack all as 

 above described; lock the door and the gate, 

 and leave until the following April or first 

 of May. Very little can be done here in 

 April most years — merely looking after ac- 

 cidents, and possibly contracting some 

 brood-chambers where the colony appears to 

 be small; but I plan to keep all warm. The 

 first time any examination is made, the oil- 

 cloth is spread over the entire top, and some- 

 times newspapers are added. We can now 

 hold all the heat, as the moisture will take 

 care of itself when bees can fly frequently. 



In May we see that each colony has plenty 

 of feed; and as warmer weather advances 

 we enlarge the brood-nest, removing the 

 chaff division-board and returning the 

 frames taken out. Later we add a half- 

 depth super as the strength of the colony 

 increases; and as we work for extracted hon- 

 ey I frequently help out the weaker colonies 

 with hatching brood from the strongest. 

 This would not do so well if I were working 

 for comb honey. All queens are clipped this 

 month. As soon as the colonies can care 

 for it, and the weather has become warm, 

 full-depth supers are added, some brood is 

 placed therein above 'the center of the 

 brood-nest, and the queen allowed full sway 

 of the two. Just before the white-honey 

 flow I do not wish for much honey in the 

 hive, and usually am not bothered with it. 

 I work to have all winter stores cleaned up, 



