1438 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1 



britton's shed for winter protection. 



one. — Ed.] 



from 80 degrees down to nearly the freezing- 

 point. We can only guess that this honey was 

 kept in a favorable temperature, and that it is of a 

 icind that does not candy readily. 



entrance in the front 

 row, so the sun will not 

 call them out when it is 

 too cold to fly. 

 Canton, Mass. 



[This shed, or, in fact, 

 any open shed, serves 

 only as an excellent wind- 

 breaic. If the back and 

 sides be closed it will 

 cut off the wind in front, 

 just the same as a bug 

 gy-top facing the wind 

 stops the force of the 

 blast against the face of 

 the driver; but if the 

 back curtain be up the 

 wind will shoot right 

 through. In all open 

 sheds the back and sides 

 must be closed. This 

 is a very old idea of 

 wintering, but a good 



WINTERING BEES IN A SHED. 



Home-made Winter Cases. 



BY E. C. BRITTON. 



The illustration shows my colonies in their 

 winter home, where they will need no further care 

 until next spring. I have been feeding those that 

 were short of stores, until all have food enough 

 to carry them through the winter. I used one 

 part of the best fine granulated sugar and one 

 part water to make the syrup. Here in this part 

 of the country the bees gathered no surplus hon- 

 ey last season in July or August, but gathered 

 some in June and September. 



The hives are the regular eight-frame dove- 

 tailed style. I made the winter cases just for the 

 pleasure of doing it, and because I could try dif- 

 ferent kinds. The bottom-boards are 17X23. 

 The outer cases are I634 X22V, and 18>^ inches 

 high, so I can put on a super in summer and have 

 both hive and super enclosed. The roofs are of 

 different kinds — some hip, some common, four- 

 sided, and shed, and are fastened on to the out- 

 side case with a small hook at each end. These 

 cases give a half-inch air-space all around the 

 hives, and on the top there is a super-cover; then 

 a super filled with chaff, and finally an air-space 

 under the roof. The entrances to the hives I re- 

 duced to ^X3 before putting on the winter 

 cases. I have put them all in a shed, closed on 

 three sides and open to the south. There are two 

 rows, one back of the other, and a little higher 

 up, so the bees get a better flight space. 



To examine any of these hives I just push back 

 the hooks at each end and take off the roof, then 

 lift up the outside case, and the hive is exposed 

 to view. They can each be taken apart in a mo- 

 ment. On warm days the bees can all take a 

 flight, but I shall place a board in front of each 



A FEEDER FOR THE BACK OF A 

 HIVE. 



BY ARENT BRUHN. 



The photo shows my way of feeding bees. 

 The box holds one quart, and is hung on the 

 back of the hive. I can fill it any time, day or 

 night. By means of the glass cover I can always 

 see how much the bees have taken, and I then 

 feed more if needed, or stop the hole and take off 

 the feeder for another hive. 



Enumclaw, Wash. 



[Such feeders are used to some extent, a sim- 

 ilar one, with the exception of the glass cover, 

 being illustrated last year in our Sept. 15th issue, 

 page 1212. The glass cover would be conven- 

 ient but more expensive, — Ed.] 



BRUHN S GLASS-COVERED FEEDER FOB. THE BACK. 

 OF A HIVE. 



