146 HOW TO KEEP BEES 



GETTING READY FOR WINTERING 



First of all that watchward of the bee-keeper must 

 be fully realised, "Keep the colonies strong." Most 

 men of experience do not attempt to winter a colony 

 that is not large enough to cover at least four of the 

 Langstroth brood-frames. If a colony is as small 

 as this, the division boards should be used to contract 

 the hive and make it as cosy and comfortable as pos- 

 sible. It is far safer to try to winter a colony that 

 covers six frames than one that covers only four; 

 the more the bees the warmer the hive, the less the 

 loss, and also the less missed are those that die. To 

 secure good swarms it is best to keep up the breeding 

 throughout the summer, which can be done by feed- 

 ing if the honey is scarce. 



Next in importance to a strong colony is good 

 honey and plenty of it sealed in the combs, so that 

 wholesome food may help to sustain the bees during 

 this trying period. With a four-frame colony four 

 frames of sealed stores will be enough. A Lang- 

 stroth brood-frame should hold about five pounds 

 of honey if it is well filled. If the colony is larger, 

 then more honey must, of course, be given. We 

 never allow any of our colonies to begin winter 

 without at least thirty pounds of sealed honey, and 

 when a colony is very large we have given it 

 thirty-five pounds. This may seem wasteful extrav- 

 gance on our part, but the honey not used in the 

 winter is of use in the spring. It is necessary that 

 the honey be of good quality; the bee is such a neat 



