1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



81 



certain degree of cold, is the greatest murderer 

 and notwithstanding the nwny plans devised, 

 Vie successful wintering of hi* bees if the master 

 stroki: of the b e keeper. In its wild state, the bee 

 protects itself by its numbers and its rich honey. 

 It plasters its dwelling with propolis, seeks the 

 calm forests, and avoids all drafts 



These facts must be taken into account when 

 wintering bees in a state of cultivation. The 

 greatest preservative against winter cold, is to 

 have your stocks populous ; and he who under- 

 stands the art of uniting them, can use each bee 

 to the greatest advantage to the whole. 



So long as the internal condition of the hive is 

 properly regulated, I believe the bees can with- 

 siand the greatest amount of external cold ; how, 

 otherwise, could wild bees live in the cold north 

 woods? A populous swarm can, by means of 

 its animal heat, raise or depress the temperature 

 of the hive, according to the demands of the 

 weatlier. As from the heart of an animal warmth 

 flows to the most distant parts of the body, so, 

 from the centre of the swarm heat flows, and by 

 the increased consumption of honey, increases 

 according to the demands of the cold. 



The fundamental rule of my practice is ; Thai 

 wintering in the open air, even in the coldest 

 weather, is the healthiest, and in its consequence*, 

 the safest. 



Bees wintered in buildings must be cut off for 

 four or five months from the pure fresh air which 

 is as necessary to them as to mankind. The 

 severest winters have some mild days, when bees 

 can fly out and purify themselves, and by 

 changing their positions in the cluster, thus re- 

 lieving the upper ones who bear the weight of 

 the swarm, and also those on the outside of the 

 cluster who have had to endure all the cold. 

 These changes are prevented by wintering 

 in dwellings. Their winters last nearly five 

 months. Hence, many of the worker bees, and 

 often the queen become sickly, and are more 

 weakened by the loss of workers than those stocks 

 that wintered in the open air. 



The burial of swarms in sand, dry earth, wheat, 

 etc., without any communication with the air, 

 is unnatural, and should receive no encourage- 

 ment. M. Spitzner well says : That, as regards 

 the freezing of his bees, the beekeeper need give 

 himself no trouble, even in the coldest winters, 

 if he has done his duty in autumn. The most 

 stocks starve and not freeze to death. 



Extracts from the work of Johann Baptist Vogel- 

 bacher, 1856. 



With the end of August the honey harvest 

 usually ends, and now the bees must be weighed 

 to see whether they will have enough nourish- 

 ment until the beginning of their supplies next 

 spring, or until March. You should know the 

 weight of the empty hive and frames (mine 

 weigh fourteen pounds) ; the bees and comb 

 should weigh six pounds. Now each stock will 

 require for the winter, at least from six to ten 

 pounds of honey. Five pounds of honey make 

 one mans. One pound of honey is usually suffi- 

 cient for an ordinary swarm per month, a popu- 



lous one requires more, a weak or.e more ; when 

 it has to be fed daily and the bees can fly often, 

 a swarm will con- urns two pounds monthly. 

 Hence, if a stock in September, does not weigh 

 over twenty-six and thirty pounds, it will pass the 

 winter with difficulty. 



In the cold months, November, December, 

 and January, a stock requires monthly one pound 

 of honey; in February, March and April, owing 

 to the rearing of brood, two pounds monthly. 

 Were there flying days in November, December, 

 and January, the bees will need somewhat more 

 so that a well-conditioned stock will require from 

 November till April, ten pounds of honey for 

 successful wintering. 



When, in autumn, you find that you must 

 feed your bees, estimate what is to be done. How 

 many stocks you will have to feed? How large 

 a store of honey they have, and how many will 

 need assistance ? 



If you have so many swarms that you will be 

 unablo to feed them all, cut out the weakest and 

 give the bees and honey to other swarms. Better 

 to winter successfully a few strong stocks than 

 many weak ones. 



Those that you wish to winter, feed just as you 

 did in August and September, till each stock has 

 its proper weight ; because the bees now will 

 carry tho honey into the cells, cover it, and in 

 winter will be quiet and undisturbed. To begin 

 feeding in October, or November, is too late, as 

 it is too cold and the bees are unable to cap the 

 honey. 



Should you have openings in tho hive, the feed- 

 ing can be carried on quite easily. At all times, 

 even in the middle of the winter, if it is neces- 

 sary, you can feed. 



The sigu that the bees perished through hun- 

 ger, is when they lie before the door of the hive 

 and on the combs in a weak, faint state ; also 

 when the bodies of the young, immature worker 

 bees are found on the floor. Help must be imme- 

 diately furnished, and those already weakened 

 must be laid in warm, honey covered cloihs, in 

 order to revive. 



[Translated for the American Bee Journal.] 



Berlepscbe's Views on "Wintering Bees. 

 Translated from Die Biene und ihre Zucht. 



Every rational bee-keeper will protect his bees 

 from cold and light, may it be in a bee-house or 

 a pavillion, or by placing them in a cellar, cham- 

 ber, or by burying them in the earth. If the 

 bees are placed in a pavillion or a bee house con- 

 structed accoiding to my plan, the entrance may 

 be open for the bees to fly on any quiet day when 

 the grouud is free from snow, and the thermom- 

 eter stands 7? above zero, Reaumer, in the shade. 

 In the evening the entrance is again closed until 

 another favorable day. The same system of 

 opening and shutting should be pursued where 

 the bees are in a bee-house. Stocks that are 

 placed in chambers, etc., are on such days per- 



j mitted to fly, unless other circumstances should 



I prevent. 



