SEPTEMBER 1, 1912 



559 



instrument were inside it might register 

 too Iiigli in some eases. 



Winter before last, after an outside tem- 

 perature of 26 degrees for two weeks, and 

 last winter after nine days of zero, I 

 found the tendency of the thermometer un- 

 der the cushion was to register around 45 

 or 46 degi'ees in each case, the lowest tem- 

 perature I noticed being 38 degrees. Two 

 days later, the outside temperature being 

 14 degrees, I found, out of five colonies, 

 two that registered 45 degrees and 44 de- 

 grees respectively; two 37 degrees and 34 

 degrees, and one only 28 degrees. Less 

 than two weeks later I found this latter 

 colony dead. The bees starved from being- 

 unable to reach the stores. The colony 

 was surprisingly large considering the fate 

 that overtook them, and they were pro- 

 tected fairly well. 



Of course it is not safe to make any 

 general conclusion from just a few trials; 

 but until we learn more I suggest this: 

 That 45 degrees is about the normal tem- 

 perature in the upper part of the hive. If 

 it is much warmer than tlais, it may be 

 an indication that something is disturbing 

 the bees. If much colder, it is a sign that 

 the colony is took weak for the frames it 

 occupies, or else that the wind hits the 

 hive too hard. If the temperature is be- 

 low freezing, the bees are in bad shape. 



With reference to a well-protected col- 

 ony keeping the temperature in their hive 

 only one or two degrees above the outside 

 air, I will say that, in some of the hives, 

 the temiaerature was 43 or 42 degrees 

 above the outside air on a day when it was 

 4 degrees above zero near noon, following 

 a morning when it was 16 degrees below. 

 Even the poor starving colony that was 

 making its last stand against death kept its 

 hive about 14 degrees above the outside air, 



Hicksville, Ohio. 



[The point is well taken. The reader 

 will see that we took this into account — 

 that is, "lag" of temperature of a hive, 

 when we reported temperature readings 

 taken last winter. See page 78, Feb. 1, 

 and page 125 for March 1. — Ed.] 



WINTERING OUTDOORS IN SINGLE-HIVE 

 WINTER CASES 



BY P. W. RICHARDSON 



The method of outdoor wintering which 

 I have followed for the past four winters 

 has been so uniformly successful that I 

 thought perhaps there might be sugges- 

 tions by which others might profit. The 

 wintering problem is not solved, nor will 



it be easy of solution in our changeable 

 and uncertain New England climate. Dur- 

 ing a mild or average winter, outdoor col- 

 onies fare best ; but in the severe winters 

 we sometimes have, any reasonably good 

 cellar would doubtless give better results. 



The essential feature of this method is 

 a separate case for each liive, of sufficient 

 size to allow four inches of packing on all 

 four sides and twelve inches on top. There 

 is no i^rotection on the bottom. These 

 cases are made of rough lumber one inch 

 thick, with a cover of the same material, 

 that telescopes down two inches all around. 

 It is covered with tarred roofing paper, 

 and there is sut¥icient slope to carry off 

 all water. Two boards, just wide enough 

 to allow the empty case to be set down 

 over the hive with the cover off, are nailed 

 on the bottom of each side. A loose board 

 of the proper width is used back of the 

 hive to prevent the packing from falling 

 through, and the front board is three inches 

 above the entrance. The super covers are 

 sealed down tight, and no provision is 

 made for ventilation of any kind anywhere 

 except at the entrance, winch is the regular 

 % by 6 furnished with the hives. I have 

 never been able to scrape out more than 

 a cupful of dead bees during any winter 

 from one colony, and there have been two 

 occasions when I was satisfied that the bees 

 came out stronger in the spring than when 

 closed up in the fall. 



I like to feed as late as is consistent 

 with good results, so about Oct. 1 the col- 

 onies are looked over, and fed or united 

 as occasion demands. I make sure that 

 they are all strong, and that the queen ap- 

 pears vigorous and lively. 



About Nov. 1 the hives are set on winter 

 stands 14 inches high, to keep them out 

 of the snow, and the winter cases are put 

 on and packed tight with hay or straw. 

 During the winter, if the thermometer 

 reaches 46 in the shade, and the sun is 

 shining, the bees come out and fly. Some 

 of them fall in the snow and are lost, but 

 never enough to do any harm, as they are 

 mostly old bees. 



But it is in the spring that the value 

 of this method is most noticeable. As soon 

 as the snow is gone, and it is certain that 

 the bees will fly about every day, these 

 winter cases are taken off and the hives 

 set down on their summer stands, which 

 are 3V2 inches high. These summer stands 

 are leveled with a spirit-level from front 

 to back, sidewise and diagonally, so that 

 all foundation will hang straight, and 

 there are not apt to be any cold corners 

 in supers. As the hives are changed they 



