AMERICAN BEE JOUR 



bee-house in which I winter my bees 

 successfully. I have never used a cellar, 

 but what I have known of cellar-winter- 

 ing, from those who do use it, I do not 

 think it is the best way, and since most 

 people winter their bees on the summer 

 stands, I shall confine myself to a dis- 

 cussion of that method. 



As soon as the frost has stopped all 

 honey-gathering, I look through the 

 hives and arrange the frames by ex- 

 changing, if necessary, so that each col- 

 ony will have not less than 25 pounds 

 of ripened honey. If some of it is, how- 

 ever, unsealed, it is a matter of small 

 consequence. Place the frames having 

 the least honey in them in the center. 

 Summer-gathered honey is perhaps the 

 best for winter use, but I have never 

 seen bees suffer by the use of fall-stored 

 honey in wintering. 



Next lay two slats %x% across the 

 frames, about 5 inches apai't, so that 

 the space between them will be in the 

 center of the hive over the cluster. 

 Bevel the ends so that the quilt will lie 

 down closely at the ends. The slats 

 should be as long as the width of the ' 

 brood-chamber ; then across these nail 

 others in length as long as those are 

 wide apart, in suflScient numbers to hold 

 up the mat when placed upon them. 

 This makes a space over the cluster 

 through which the bees can pass over 

 the frames in cold weather to the honey 

 in the outside frames. In addition to 

 this, holes may be cut through the 

 combs for the same purpose, if thought 

 necessary. 



Over this frame arrangement I spread 

 a heavy woolen cloth, entirely covering 

 the brood-chamber, and then I partly fill 

 a common coffee or sugar sack with ex- 

 celsior, forest leaves, chaff, or an equiv- 

 alent, and press it down evenly on the 

 frames. Then I tilt the hives forward 

 about one inch in twelve, leaving the 

 front entrance entirely open. The hives 

 are now ready for whatever outside pro- 

 tection is desired to give them. 



To all who wish to further protect the 

 hives, I would suggest this plan as a 

 cheap and handy one : 



Place the hives in rows facing east or 

 south, so that there will be about 10 

 inches of space between them. Then 

 place a protection of boards all around 

 them except in front, leaving a space of 

 10 inches between the boards and the 

 hives, into which and between the hives 

 pack leaves, chaff, cut-straw, or excel- 

 sior, so that it will come above the 

 brood-chamber, and let it remain this 

 way until May, or longer, if the weather 

 is fickle. AH should be covered up with 



boards, however. Bee^ii^jArAd'^in this 

 way will winter every ti^PH»«ft»^ aad 

 come out in the spring strong and 

 healthy. The man who thus takes care 

 of his bees will only know of spring 

 dwindling by what he hears from his 

 less careful neighbors. 



I prefer not to winter my bees on 

 sugar syrup, and never burglarize the 

 brood-chamber to do so. I fail to see 

 the advantage or the good policy in 

 doing so. Let the bees, and not the 

 hives, gather the honey, and then the 

 sugar-refiners will not be benefited at 

 the expense of the bee-keeper. 



The pollen theory, in connection with 

 the winter problem, has been discussed 

 widely, by our best apiarists, pro and 

 con, for several years, and the mystery 

 is, so-called, still unsolved. I believe 

 the teachings of Mr. Muth are about 

 correct. If I am not mistaken, his 

 teaching is about as follows : 



Pollen is a wholesome nutritious food, 

 and essential to the bee life and health, 

 especially to the larvEe and young bees. 

 Its nutritious and healthy qualities, if 

 kept dry, will last for years, but if 

 allowed to become damp, it will sour. It 

 then swells, bursts out of the cells, and 

 is very unwholesome and unfit for food, 

 for either the young or old bees. The 

 same can be said of honey under similar 

 circumstances, but if it is kept in a 

 warm, dry place, it will keep forever. 



Bees in the cluster, when supplied 

 with healthy food, create a large amount 

 of heat, and when the outside air is 

 colder than the air within, the exhala- 

 tions from their bodies condense and 

 produce considerable dampness which 

 must have a way to escape, or the bees 

 and hives become damp and unhealthy ; 

 the combs become moldy, and the pollen 

 and honey sours ; the bees become dis- 

 eased and die. Such food and combs 

 are the fruitful source, and I believe 

 the principal source, of bee-diarrhea. 

 Moldy combs come from damp hives, 

 and damp hives are caused by insuffi- 

 cient ventilation. 



And now, when I have reason to be- 

 lieve that the cold weather is over, I 

 place the heaviest combs nearest the 

 cluster, put a division-board on each 

 side, and contract the entrance. The 

 division-board should not touch the bot- 

 tom, so that the bees can pass for food 

 placed on the opposite side. I contract 

 the brood-chamber in order thai the 

 bees can better control the heat during 

 cold snaps in the spring. I then place 

 a frame of honey or a frame of syrup 

 outside the division-board to stimulate 

 brood-rearing. I think it is best that 



