THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



333 



loss of which could not have been 

 avoided by attention to certain condi- 

 tions wliich appear plain to me. In 

 considering- winter losses I wish to 

 ask this question: why is it that one 

 colony will come throug^h in g^ood shape 

 and another die when both are ex- 

 actly alike as far as hives or protec- 

 tion is concerned ? Must we not con- 

 clude that the cause of death in one is 

 due to some defect in the colony ? 

 Could not a large percentage of the 

 winter losses that are reported be ac- 

 counted for by the statement that the 

 colonies are not in a normal condition? 

 One cannot lose what he never had. 

 Too many colonies are reported lost 

 that were short of stores, or the stores 

 were not in the proper position in the 

 hive, or the colony had a poor queen, 

 or was queenless, or the bees were all 

 old and ready to die when they were 

 placed in the cellar. 



If I put a worthless stock in the cel- 

 lar to take chances, I can hardly speak 

 of its death as a "winter loss." 



What we want to go into winter quar- 

 ters with is, colonies that are strong in 

 3'oung bees and well provided with 

 stores. In order to have such a condi- 

 tion we must work toward it and not 

 put ofP all effort till the end of the sea- 

 son. All summer long, as we work 

 with the bees, we should keep in mind 

 to liave tlie colonies in good shape for 

 winter. 



There is no mystery about tlie loss 

 of queenless stocks or those that 

 starve, or those that die from dysentery 

 caused by using- sour or unripe honey 

 or stuff stored from some cider or cane 

 mill. Could not many of the losses re- 

 ported be accounted for under one of 

 these heads ? 



Some one has made the statement 

 that white honey is the only proper 

 thing for winter stores. We all agree 

 that it is good, but I have found that 

 good ripe honey from autumn flowers 

 such as heartsease, golden rod, asters, 

 sunflowers, j^buck wheat, J etc.,j is all 



right to winter on, and I always de- 

 pend largely on this amber honey ex- 

 cept on fields that do not produce it. 



I like to leave the store combs on 

 hives that are run for extracting- until 

 along in the fall, both for the protec- 

 tion of the combs and in order to catch 

 any surplus that may happen to come 

 along-. It often happens that the 

 brood chambers of such colonies will 

 contain little or no honey at the close 

 of the season. In such a case we must 

 g-o through them some warm day in 

 October and place some well filled 

 combs below. 



If at the time of putting- the bees 

 away I find some that are too light, 

 and I have no more combs of honey, I 

 put on a super of No. 2 comb honey 

 full or part full according to the needs 

 of the colony. 



There is much to be thought of 

 before we come to the question of 



PROTECTION, 



3'et it is all very simple; only g-iving 

 heed to certain conditions that should 

 be pretty well understood by this time. 

 Under-ground winter repositories 

 seem to be the most popular in the 

 North, and yet I believe that a double 

 wall containing four inches of dry 

 leaves, and the same on top, will make 

 safe wintering out of doors if other 

 conditions are right. Last winter was 

 said to be a hard one on outdoor win- 

 tering, but I wintered a number that 

 way. I lost one from lack of stores 

 and one from the depredations of mice. 



ADVANTAGES OF OUT DOOR WINTERING. 



I should like to winter more that 

 way if it were not for the cost of mak- 

 ing outer shells. The advantages are 

 that one can prepare the colonies for 

 winter at any time during the fall and 

 have no more trouble with them, es- 

 caping the hard work of carrying- them 

 into and out of the cellar. The bees 

 get early flights and first pollen which 

 is a relief to the bee-keeper if not an 

 advantage to the bees. 



