682 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Winter cases as used by L. List, Detroit, Mich. 



says that one would not notice it very much 

 in the sheltered position behind the shed. 



F^inally, the suggestion regarding a 

 change in construction to keep out rain and 

 snow is quite superfluous. Rain and snow 

 have no chance to get inside of the shed, 

 though it appears that way in the picture. 

 Let me explain. That i)hotograph was tak- 

 en in the middle of summer, and the hinged 

 front Avas simply let down for a few min- 

 utes, the hives being left standing apart. 

 For winter they are moved close together. 

 From one long and several short pieces of 

 %-inch stuff an entrance is made % by ') 

 inches. Then a narrow board, just wide 

 enough to fill out the space between hive 

 and wall, is laid on top of these entrances 

 lengthwise, inside of the shed. The space 

 above is filled with straw. Last winter we 

 had many a driving snowstorm from the 

 east, the direction in wloieh the sheds are 

 facing. No snow ever got inside. 



Detroit, Mich. 



A WINTER CASE FOR TWELVE HIVES 



BY J. F. AKCHDEKIN 



Having sustained serious winter losses in 

 my apiary a number of times, I have been 

 compelled to adopt some method of protec- 

 tion for the bees. While I have had excel- 

 lent luck in wintering in the cellar, my last 

 yvinter's experience with the cellar was dis- 



astrous. But bees outdoors need protection. 

 Although I liave Avintered bees on their 

 summer stands in common single-walled 

 hives with no loss, yet at other times I have 

 had severe losses by this method also, and 

 feel that this is to be discouraged as much 

 as possible. The following is my way of 

 making a winter-case. The only claim I 

 make for it is that of cheapness and sim- 

 plicity of construction. These are, in the 

 writer's opinion, very important if they 

 can be combined with ample protection. 



Expenses make the profits smaller, and, 

 after all, it is profits that most of us are 

 after. An ordinary person can make a case 

 to hold 12 colonies (eight-frame) in less 

 than an hour. The materials required are 

 four boards 1x12x18 (for 12 colonies); 

 one 2 X 4 X 12 ; about 70 feet of 1 x 6 x 18 

 boards, and enough roofing-paper to cover 

 as many cases as required. The 12-incb 

 boards are nailed together with cleats, and 

 form the front and back of the case. The 

 front is now marked off, allowing 18 inches 

 for each hive. In the center of each space, 

 from left to right, the entrance is made % 

 x 8 inches. Cut the 2x4 into four pieces 

 36 inches long, and, selecting a level piece 

 of ground, lay them flat and use the six- 

 inch boards to cover them, forming the 

 floor. The sides are set up, the ends boxed 

 up, and a lath nailed across in the middle 

 on top to keep it from spreading when the 



