A 



Bee J 



MERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEE CULTURE. 



Vol. X. CEDAR RAPIDS, NOVEMBER, 1874. No. 11. 



Winter 



Bee-Xeeping. "- 

 Method. 



-A New 



A I'ArEll READ BRFOIIE THE MICHIGAN BEE- 

 KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION, AT KAL- 

 AMAZOO, MAY 6tii, 1874. 



BY H. E. BIDWELL. 



When cold weather comes on in the fall, 

 bees collect together in the hive to keep 

 warm. As the cold increases, they pack 

 more closely, and resort to the consump- 

 tion of honey to preserve the heat. This 

 increases the action of the respiratory or- 

 gans, which exertion creates an unusual 

 waste of the system, more than the per- 

 spiratory organs can throw oft"; this col- 

 lects as fteces, and necessitates flying out 

 to remove it. This waste of the system 

 cjills for the consumption of bee-bread, 

 which contains much foreign matter, and 

 further increases the necessity of flying 

 out. If prevented, these accumulations 

 clog and weaken the perspiratory organs, 

 and sooner or later admonish the bees to 

 leave the cluster, when they become 

 chilled and perish. This gradually di- 

 minishes the number of the bees, so that 

 by spring, if the colonies are not wholly 

 reduced, they are weakened so that much 

 valuable time is lost in regaining their 

 strength. 



If the honey is thin from the want of 

 suflicient evaporation before sealing, or if 

 the perspirations are not removed from the 

 hive, as is usually the case in damp cel- 

 lars or moist weather, the excretions be- 

 come thin, and dysentery follows. This 

 augments the necessity of flying out. 



Having bought some bees last winter, 

 which we were anxious to fly before put- 

 ting them in the cellar, and having near 

 at hand some empty hot-beds — which had 

 been dug out in the fall for the purpose of 

 filling early in the spring — we thought per- 

 haps a swarm might fly in one ; something 

 risked, something gained ; se we put one 

 in. The beds were; roomy, 6x12 feet, so 

 that four sash 3x(5 feet would cover them. 

 The depth was about three feet, with a 

 slope to the glass of one foot. In about 

 twenty minutes after putting on the sash 



— it being mid-day, with a clear sky — the 

 temperature arose within to 70 degrees, 

 and the bees commenced flying briskly 

 and voiding freely. At night we found 

 every hee had returned to the hive. 



The next day being clear, we put in two 

 more ; the next four ; and the next eight. 

 'I'hese all returned so well to their resj)ec- 

 tive hives, that we next put in eight more, 

 two deep. Being so well satisfied with 

 the result, and having six of these large 

 hot-beds dug out, we flew 111 stocks, as 

 occasion required, until spring. 



The only caution I would suggest would 

 be not to fly them too often, which can 

 be be readily prevented by covering the 

 sash with boards. 



Occasionally the bees will alight on the 

 hives or collect on the glass, if the atmos- 

 phere gets hot and close within; they cau, 

 easily be dispersed by sprinkling straw on 

 the glass to shade the bees and cool off 

 the bed. A similar occurrence frequent- 

 ly happens out of doors, on a warm, close 

 day, after the bees have been confined 

 some time i^i their hives ; they alight oa 

 everything, and remain until cold or hun- 

 ger reminds them of their home. 



The advantages accruing to this method 

 of wintering bees are — you can safely fly 

 them at your pleasure ; none are lost in 

 the chilly winds or snow, or on the cold 

 ground, which increases their value in our 

 estimation two-fold. 



Ed. Journal : — Some one asks for Mr. 

 H. E. Bidwell's method of wintering bees, 

 as it was given at the Michigan Bee-Keep- 

 er's (Convention. The folio wing letter was 

 received by me just too late to be present- 

 ed at the Convention. 



South Haven, Mich. April 8()th '74. 

 Frank Benton, Sec'y : — 



Dear Sir : — Please add to my remarks 

 on wintering bees as follows ; 



The temperature of the beds on cloudy 

 days, or when covered with boards ou 

 clear days, ranges from forty to fifty de- 

 grees, while on clear days with the sun- 

 shining in, it is from seventy to eighty 

 degrees under the glass. When the tem- 

 perature is suitable outside, the sashes can 

 be removed. 



