THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



373 



right temperature, as determined by the 

 quietness of the bees, will generally be 

 between 40° and 45°. The strength of the 

 colonies will also be found to have some- 

 thing to do with it. The weaker the col- 

 onies the higher the temperature they 

 will bear with impunity, and at the same 

 time the harder will it be to get and keep 

 the higher temperature. 



CARRYING BEES INTO THE CELLAR. 



In the same journal, 711, in reply to a 

 question as to the best way to get the bees 

 into the cellar for the winter, the answer 

 is in substance: Don't smoke or disturb 

 them. Get them in at a time when they 

 are not easily stirred. This is sound and 

 unobjectionable, but the answer goes on 

 "if they are very troublesome about fly- 

 ing out, take a big cloth make it pretty 

 wet, then lay it against the entrance so 

 no bees can get out. ' ' This would be 

 intolerable if many colonies were to be 

 so treated, and it is not necessary. I 

 should say take them in on a cloudy, 

 dark day, when there is little or no wird, 

 with the temperature between 30° and 45°. 

 See to it before hand, that the part to be 

 taken in, whether the hive without the 

 bottom board or the hive with it, is loose 

 and will be found loose at the proper 

 time, so there will be no noise or jarring 

 when it comes to be taken in; then, when 

 the time comes, pick it up firmly but 

 gently and put it in its winter's resting 

 place as quickly as possible. I carried in 

 160, or more, five days ago, without the 

 bottom boards, and hardly a bee took 

 wing. When they are to be taken in 

 without the bottom board, in case the 

 cluster reaches down so as to rest on the 

 l)()ttom board, it is advisable to raise one 

 end of the hive from the bottom board 

 with a block a day or two beforehand, so 

 as to compel the cluster to draw up into 

 the combs. 



THE PERPLEXING SUBJECT OF TP;mPERA- 



TURE IN BEE-CELLARS. 



On the same page is the question, how- 

 should I ventilate a cellar 18 x 29 feet and 



8)4 feet deep to wnnter 23 colonies in it ? 

 After explaining different methods bj^ 

 which ventilation could be secured, the 

 answer goes on "if the number of colo- 

 nies is not more than 23 it is possible 

 that your cellar may winter all right 

 without any special attention. ' " As I look 

 at it, the chief lifficulty to be encounter- 

 ed in such a case is not the matter of ven- 

 tilation but of the temperature. The nor- 

 mal winter temperature of most cellars is 

 much too low for the successful winter- 

 ing of bees. If the cellar mentioned is 

 an average one the successful wintering 

 of so small a number as 23 colonies in it 

 may require strict attention. The reason 

 of this is that 23 colonies would, without 

 aid, be found insiifiicient to raise the tem- 

 perature to the proper pojnt. If the tem- 

 perature goes no lower than 40° in the 

 severest weather, when not occupied by 

 bees, the cellar would do excellently prob- 

 ably for 23 colonies; but if it goes to 30° 

 then more bees, or some other device, 

 would be required to bring the temper- 

 ature up sufficiently to make successful 

 wintering certain. To another question 

 the answer is that 100 or more colonies 

 ought to be comfortable in such a cellar. 

 As to that, one cannot say with any de- 

 gree of certainty without knowing the 

 cellar. My cellar, which is a little 

 smaller, takes 150 to 250; something de- 

 pending on the strength of the colonies. 

 Then a cellar that is warm -in severe 

 weather is cool in warm weather and a 

 cellar that is very cold in severe winter 

 weather is apt to go to the other extreme, 

 in warm weather; and with such a cellar 

 a fight is almost inevitable at one ex- 

 treme or the other, and very likely at 

 both. 



DISTURBING BEES IN WINTER IS NOT 



NECESSARILY INJURIOUS. 



An answer in the same journal, 678, 

 contains this: "The only trouble is that 

 they may not have a flight again for a 

 few weeks after being moved, and the 

 disturbance of moving will be bad for 

 them." This is a time-honored opinion, 



