1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



As the sub-earth ventilator was placed deep in the ground, 

 I thought that it need not make the cellar too cold by leaving 

 the upper one wholly or partially open all the time; but when 

 I came to put it iu actual practice, I found that, in all cool 

 weather, when there was a wind, I could not keep the tem- 

 perature where I wanted it, so I began closing the upper ven- 

 tilator entirely, except on all days when there was no wind, or 

 the mercury stood above the freezing-point. As this made an 





Fkj. 2 — Oround-Plan. 



Fig. 3 — Roof Torn Aivay. 



endless lot of work, I resolved to leave it closed entirely for 

 two weeks, and see what would become of the matter. It was 

 with some misgivings that I went into the cellar at the end of 

 the time, but I found the bees in splendid condition; in fact, 

 they appeared the nicest and most quiet that I had ever seen 

 them. I then gave the cellar a good draft for two or three 

 hours, when the ventilator was shut again, and as the weather 

 was extremely cold for a month, all direct ventilation was 

 shut off during this time. As the bees seemed to be in the 

 best of condition still, I then went to work shutting up both 

 ventilators till I became fully satisfied that enough air came 

 into this underground cellar, through the mason-work and 

 dirt covering, for all the wants and requirements of the bees. 



Now, I not only found that the bees wintered just as well 

 as formerly, but a little better ; and what was of more value 

 to me still, I now had no trouble in controlling the tempera- 

 ture. 



EVENNESS OF TEMPERATURE IN BEE-CELLARS. 



This brings me to another point which I wish to speak of, 

 and that is evenness of temperature. Some seem to think 

 that a cellar will be too cold in a cold winter, and too warm 

 in a mild winter, or that the temperature will vary in it, just 

 in proportion as it does outside. Any cellar which will thus 

 change temperature to any considerable extent cannot be the 

 best possible place to winter bees. This cellar of mine does 

 not average one degree warmer in the "warmest winter ever 

 known," from where it stands in the coldest winter ever 

 known, and all the changes in the outside temperature from 

 day to day does not affect it at all ; no matter if the tempera- 

 ture stands at 603 above zero for a week, and 10^ below zero 

 for the next week, it changes not inside, for the warmth of 

 Mother Earth remains unchanged, when you get a little way 

 under the crust. 



When the bees are put into this cellar, the temperature 

 stands at about 50^, till they get quieted down so as not to 

 throw off animal heat in excess of that required when in their 

 semi-dormant condition, after which it gradually goes down 

 to about 450, where it stays all winter, rarely varying more 

 than one or two degrees from this afterward, till spring ; or 

 when I take them from the cellar. 



This evenness of temperature, and keeping it at about the 

 desired point, is one of the great secrets of successful winter- 

 ing in cellars, and one of the reasons why I prefer a cellar en- 

 tirely under ground, and away from any building, or that 

 which may give it an unevenness of temperature. 



With a temperature as above, no bees come out of the 



hive to die, except those which die a natural death from old 

 age. 



SHUTTING BEES IN THE HIVE IN THE CELLAR. 



This causes me to speak of another point, which is, the 

 shutting of bees in their hives by means of wire-cloth or other- 

 wise, to keep them from leaving their hives, as some seem to 

 think necessary. Such ideas are fallacious, and only suggest 

 themselves to the inexperienced. 



The reasons for not shutting the bees in their hives are, 

 first, when an old bee gets ready to die, it always leaves the 

 hive, if the temperature in which the hive is kept will admit 

 of its doing so. Now, in a cellar of the proper temperature, 

 these old bees can always do as nature prompts, and so strive 

 to carry out this part, that they start some time before they 

 expire to get away from the hive ; and if confined to it, they 

 keep returning to the cluster, running over the bees, buzzing 

 away on the wire-cloth, etc., so that when large numbers ex- 

 pire at the same time, as they often do toward spring, the 

 whole colony is aroused, when a struggle for freedom ensues, 

 which is often very damaging to the whole colony, if it does 

 not result in their death. 



Again, where the cluster spreads out to take in new sup- 

 plies of honey from the surrounding combs — as most colonies 

 do several times during the winter — they will come out on the 

 outside of the hive, walk about a little and return. If on such 

 occasions they find themselves prisoners, the same kind of 

 stampede occurs as before, and much harm is the result. 



After experimenting for years in regard to how the hives 

 should be placed in the cellar, I now raise tbera from the bot- 

 tomb-board from two to three inches all around, leaving this 

 space entirely open, so the bees can pass out or in as they 

 please. Borodino, N. Y. 



[The engravings of Mr. Doolittle's bee-cellar, as well as 

 the following description of them, are taken from that excel- 

 lent book— Root's " A B C of Bee-Culture "—having been writ- 

 ten by Mr. D., himself, in January, 1888 :— Editors.I 



Fig. 1 represents the outside appearance of the cellar as 

 viewed from the southeast. The ground should rise gradually 

 from the foreground up to the fence, the back end of the roof 

 at the peak being lower, or as low, as the ground opposite to 

 it on each side. The outer roof is hemlock boards batttened. 

 In Fig. 2, 1 represents the window in the gable-end of the 

 ante-room, so 1 can have a little light after I go in and shut 

 the first door. In this ante-room (see Pigs. 2 and 3) I light 

 my candle, have the sawdust to carry in to spread on the 

 floor, etc. In Fig. 3, 4 is the upper drain, or water-course, 

 to carry off all surplus water coming from the roof and else- 

 where, it being made in a large scoop form by taking dirt out 

 to go between the two roofs, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The 

 fence is shown in the rear. This causes the snow to drift on 

 the roof. In Fig. 3, 6 shows the ventilator at the back end of 

 the cellar. 



Fig. 2 represents the front view, also the ground-plan of 

 the ante-room and doors. 1 is the casing that the outer door 

 hangs on, and against which it shuts; 2 is the outer door 

 which swings in and around against the south side of the 

 ante-room ; 3 is the first door toward entering the cellar ; and 

 in opening, it swings out and around the north side of the 

 ante-room, finding the position when open as represented; 4 

 is the next door, two feet further in, which in opening also 

 swings around against No. 3, as shown ; 5 is the door enter- 

 ing the cellar; and in opening, it swings into the cellar 

 against the south wall, unless the cellar is full of bees, in 

 which case a stop is so placed that it will not hit the hives. 



In entering the cellar I first go into the ante-room and 

 shut the door, as I have explained ; then t open Nos. 3 and 4, 

 and step into the last dead-air space, closing No. 4 after me, 

 but allowing No. 3 to remain open. I now open No. 5, and 

 quickly step into the cellar, closing after me. Thus it will be 

 seen that very little change of air can take place by my en- 

 tering, especially when I say that all is covered overhead and 

 on all sides with dirt, except the ante-room. 



Fig. 3 represents the inside of the cellar. 1 represents 

 the floor, or cellar-bottom. This is always quite dry, and 

 there is a drain under the wall, and below the bottom all 

 around, being S inches deep at the southwest corner, and 20 

 inches deep at the northeast corner, or outlet. 2 represents 

 the south wall. The hives are put up along both walls and 

 west end, putting one on top of the other ones four deep, as 

 seen at 8 ; also by H. H., etc., in Fig. 2. 



In Fig. 3, 3 is the inner roof, which is made by using 2x6 

 stuff for rafters (which are a foot apart), with 1-inch boards 

 nailed on thera at the top. [In the summer of 1890 these 

 boards had become rotted so much that the roof caved in. To 



