GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Fig. 3. — How the hives are stacked up in the cellar. 



this one is damp, so I use a tray built 

 of lumber sized to y2x3 inches. From this 

 stock I make rims just a trifle larger than 

 tlie hive-body and put bottoms of burlap 

 on them. These trays are then filled with 

 kiln-dried planer shavings, and placed over 

 the hives on removing the cover, as in 

 Fig. 4. The shavings absorb the moisture 

 and retain the heat, so that the bees winter 

 well. The temperature should be a little 

 higher than that of a dry cellar. I prefer 

 a temperature of 43 to 45 degrees in a dry 

 cellar, and 48 to 50 in a damp one. 



It is my i^ractice to carry the bees from 

 the cellar in the spring to avoid the jar 

 that they would receive if wheeled on a 

 baiTow. If tlie bees have wintered per- 

 fectly, and are f]uiet, it is my belief that 



they should be left in the cellar until they 

 can gather pollen. In this climate bees 

 gather the tirst pollen about April 10th 

 to the loth. I usually cany the bees out 

 on a cool afternoon when the indications 

 are that the following day will be fair. 

 On the night previous to setting the bees 

 out, I open all doors and windows. The 

 cool air has the desired effect of causing 

 the bees to cluster closely. To prevent 

 them from flying while being moved from 

 the cellar I provide a few strips of cotton 

 cloth; dip them in water, and gently tuck 

 them into the entrances, removing them 

 as soon as the hives are located. At the 

 time of placing the bees on their summer 

 stands I leave the quilts on, placing a piece 

 of tarred felt over each one, large enough 

 to project one inch all around. Over this 

 felt I put the regular cover. 

 Rapid City, Mich. 



PROPER WAY OF MANIPULATING AND WIN- 

 TERING BEES OUTDOORS 



1!Y G. C. GREIXKi: 



Fig. 4. — Trays of dry shavings set over the hives 

 in llu' damp cellar. 



While giving a description of the cover- 

 picture of Gleanings, Dec. 15, 1911, the 

 editor refers to a former article from my 

 pen, in wliieli I described the manage- 

 ment of outdoor wintering as I practice 

 it. I disclaim any semblance of my man- 

 agement and outtit to the arrangement 

 which this cover-picture would suggest, for 

 it is extremely faulty. 



It is not an easy matter to shift bees 

 from one place in the apiary to another, 

 without causing more or less confusion, 

 mixing, and mingling of bees of different 

 colonies, which is always accompanied by 

 some loss of bees. It requires the most 

 careful application of what years of ob- 

 servation have taught me to shift my bees 

 from their summer position to their win- 

 ter f|uarters with positively no confusion 

 nor the loss of a single bee. We can 

 change the appearance of a bee home Avith 

 endless variations in color, shape, material, 

 etc., witliout any detrimental effect to the 

 bees except, perliaps, a little hesitation 

 for a few times on entering when coming 

 home, if the location is not changed; or 

 we can change their location very gradual 

 ly, not more than the width of the hive, 

 every three or four days (but these must 

 be flyiny days), and cause no inconvenience 

 lo the bees, if the aspect of the liome re- 

 mains the same; but change both at the 

 same time and an undesirable disturbance 

 with loss of bees will be the result. Any 

 manipulation that produces this state of 

 affairs is faulty. 



