THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



17 



ion of sawdust, still another with 

 burlap or wire cloth .ind loose chaff. 



This one leaves the brood-cham- 

 ber full size ; that one contracts to 

 three or more combs. 



Many prefer siio;!ir for winterinj^ 

 stores, others think nothing but 

 honey will do. 



During- a mild winter any of the 

 various plans ma\' work well, but 

 during severe winters, when bees 

 are confined several months at a 

 time, there are but few plans that 

 work well. 



At present, my own ideas on 

 wintering are: 1. That all brood 

 should be hatched by Oct. 1. 

 2. That all hives should be packed 

 for winter at that time. 3. That 

 feeding, if resorted to, should be 

 done during August or September. 



In preparing a singie-vvalled 

 hive for winter, I leave in the 

 brood-chamber from three to five 

 combs (Langstroth size) contain- 

 ing from fifteen to twenty-five 

 pounds of honey or syrup. Place 

 chaff-cushions at each side of brood - 

 nest. Over and across the frames 

 place two sticks an inch apart ; 

 over all place a piece of burlap, 

 pnt on upper story and fill with 

 wheat chaff. (Wheat chaff does not 

 mould as readily as do oat and 

 clover chaff.) 



Another method which dispenses 

 with sticks and burlap is one that 

 I prefer, excepting the first cost of 

 it. It is simply a frame 3" X 8" 

 X 16" inside, one side of which is 

 covered with wire cloth 10 ' X 18." 

 This box or frame rests on the 

 frames, cloth side up, and enables 

 the whole colony to cluster in one 

 mass at the top of the brood - 

 chaml)er, thus leaving a smaller 

 surface exposed to cold air than 

 whea the cluster is spread out be- 

 tween three or four combs. 



The cover should contaiji a ven- 

 tilator to cai'vy off moist air and 

 prevent moulding of chaff. 



It will be seen by the above that 



2 



the sides of the brood-nest are 

 protected by cushions, but that 

 the ends are oidy protected by a 

 4" boaid. If the hives stand close 

 together in rows, move the hives up 

 so the ends come in co)itact. Now, 

 all hix'es in the row are protected, 

 excepting the two end hives which 

 may be banked with straw, hay or 

 even snow \ in fact, snow, as long 

 as it lasts, is the best outside pack- 

 ing 1 knovv of. 



Now, for the entrance. As I use 

 a Simplicity hive 1 slide the hive 

 over the edge of the bottom-board 

 giving an entrance |" X 18^". 

 Under the cushions are placed two 

 small blocks, giving a passage 

 way. The alighting-board to each 

 adjoining hive shonld be of differ- 

 ent color or shape to prevent mix- 

 ing of bees. 



So much for manipulation. Now, 

 for my theories regarding winter 

 losses among the otherwise best 

 beekeepers of America. 



1. They may live in a low, damp 

 valley where frosts are more fre- 

 quent. 2. They may use up a large 

 part of the vitality of their bees 

 by feeding late in the season, the 

 bees expending the life force that 

 the3' need in the spring, in storing 

 the food and protecting the same 

 against robbers. 



Some by opening hives often, or, 

 by leaving the entrances wide open 

 after the hone}^ flow ceases, cause 

 robbers to keep the entire apiary 

 stirred up during the fall months. 



P^xcepting such flights as are 

 necessary to avoid faecal accumu- 

 lations, it seems to me that the 

 less bees fly or exert themselves 

 between Oct. 1 and the time natu- 

 ral pollen appears, the better they 

 will winter. 



East Leroy, Mich. 



