1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



135 



Last winter I lost one-half of the colonies on the summer 

 stands, but they were not In as good condition as they are this 

 winter. Now for the questions: 



1. There is a kitchen attacht to our main house, on the 

 north side, 20x20 feet, under which I can make a cellar five 

 or six feet deep with very little work. We live in the kitchen 

 all winter, and have two stoves in it with fire. The cellar 

 would not be wet — no water ever gets in. What do you think 

 of such a cellar to winter my bees in ? 



2. Would I better make the cellar and try to winter my 

 bees in it, or hold to the summer stands ? 



3. Would the noise above, in the kitchen, disturb the bees 

 any? and would the stove in the kitchen help to warm the 

 cellar below '? 



4:. Would the moisture thrown out by the bees below have 

 any bad effects on the health of persons living In the kitchen 

 above ? 



5. How should the bees be set in such a cellar — close to 

 the ground, or raised 10 or 20 inches ? and how shall I pre- 

 pare them, that is, the hives with bees in ? 



If I get an answer favorable to the cellar, then I will pre- 

 pare it for my bees for next winter's u.*e. 



P. W., Hobble, Pa. 



Answers. — 1. I see no reason why it may not make a 

 good bee-cellar. 



2. That's a hard question to answer. I winter my bees 

 in the cellar, and yet I can't help the feeling that where a col- 

 ony winters well outdoors it may be a little stronger to take 

 hold in the spring. You can tell a little better when you see 

 how your bees come out in the spring. If you lose as many as 

 you did last winter, best take to the cellar. But the forepart 

 of the winter was so mild that even if all live it will not be a 

 severe test. The most satisfactory way would be to try part 

 in the cellar and part out. 



3. Theoretically, the noise ought to be bad for the bees, 

 but practically I could never see that it did any harm. A fire 

 overhead makes a decided difference in my cellar. 



4. If the cellar is kept properly ventilated — as it should 

 be for the benefit of the bees — no harm will come from it to 

 the people living over. 



5. It doesn't make an immense difference. Probably a 

 foot from the ground would be better, but as that takes more 

 room mine are raised not more than three to six inches. The 

 only preparation mine get is to have a space of two inches 

 under the bottom-bars of each hive, and a great, big entrance. 



Two Colonies in One Hive — Clipping Queen§. 



1. I united some bees by putting one hive-body on top of 

 another. Would I better take the one off in the spring ? or 

 how would it do to leave them together? How would it do to 

 use two queens, one below and one above, with bee-zinc between 

 the upper and lower stories ? or would I better use one queen 

 below and use the upper for extracted honey ? 



2. I have been clipping the queen's wings, to some extent, 

 but I don't know whether I like the plan or not. It hurts the 

 looks of the queen, if it does no other harm. I like to see the 

 bees swarm, and it is a pleasure to me to hive them. Put in a 

 frame of brood and they will stay there all right. 



N. M., Iowa. 



Answer. — 1. What is best to do depends on circum- 

 stances. Quite possibly you may find, in some cases at least, 

 and perhaps in the majority of cases, that where two colonies 

 were united by putting one hive over the other, there will be 

 only one of the two queens left in the spring. This will be 

 the more likely to occur where the two colonies were not very 

 weak. If both queens are left you will likely find both colo- 

 nies so weak that it will be more profitable to unite all in one 

 story, removing the poorer queen if you have any choice. 

 Remember, it's a poor plan to have a lot of weaklings. It 

 may be well to say. however, that where colonies are weak 

 from what is called " spring dwindling," they don't seem to 

 do any better for uniting. 



It might be some satisfaction for you to try the plan of 

 having a queen in each of the two stories, separated by a 

 queen-excluder, but you will probably find that when colonies 

 are strong enough to remain separate in two stories, one over 

 the other, that they're strong enough to do as well, or better, 

 to be on separate stands. The very fact that you united two 

 colonies last fall Is pretty satisfactory evidence that they were 

 weak enough, so that the very best thing you can now do is 

 to get them together In one story. It may be a good plan to 

 get all the bees and brood together in the upper story, leaving 

 the lower story without any excluder over it, then the bees 

 can work down into it when they need the room. The 



size of the hives has something to do, of course, with what Is 

 best to do In this direction. If there is room enough in the 

 one story for the brood-nest, your plan of letting the bees stay 

 In the lower story, with the upper one for extracting, an ex- 

 cluder between, may bring good results. However, the opin- 

 ion seems to be gaining ground that the best extracted honey 

 Is obtained from combs that have never been used for 

 breeding. 



2. If you are always on hand to take care of swarms, and 

 enjoy sufficiently the pleasure of seeing them swarm, it may 

 be best for you to leave your queens unclipt. So far as looks 

 are concerned, you will hardly notice the change in looks if 

 you cut away entirely the larger wing on one side, leaving the 

 smaller one entire. 



Clo§cd.End Frames and Ileddon Hive. 



Last evening eight of your readers and myself were dis- 

 cussing the closed-end frame and the Heddon hive, pro and 

 con. We would be very glad to learn a little more about these 

 points, and as it is fast approaching the time when our plans 

 must be laid out for next season, can you give us the informa- 

 tion, or tell us where it can be found, particularly as to the 

 advantages and disadvantages of the closed-end frame as used 

 by Mr. Heddon ? Minnesota. 



Answer.— The book " Success in Bee-Culture," by James 

 Heddon, gives probably the fullest description that can be 

 found of the Heddon hive and its frames. Mr. Heddon him- 

 self would no doubt give you special information such as you 

 desire, and he states in his book that he has retained the ad- 

 vantages without the disadvantages of the closed-end frame. 

 One advantage, as he uses them, is that by means of a thumb- 

 screw the end-bars can be all crowded tight together so the 

 section of the hive can be reverst without removing the 

 frames. A disadvantage that some have found is that the 

 thumb-screws do not always work well, the shrinkage of the 

 end-bars making them loose, and the swelling making them 



too tight. 



■ — • — ■ 



When to Remove Winter Packing. 



I have nine colonies of bees on the summer stands, packt 

 as follows : In the fall, on the approach of cold weather, I 

 removed the super, put a %-inch board over the brood-cham- 

 ber, the size of the outside of the hive, then put a box over 

 all, four inches higher and two inches larger on all sides 

 than the hive, filling the sides and over the brood with saw- 

 dust, and putting a rain-proof cover over all. When should I 

 remove the packing and put on the quilt? also, should I have 

 put on the quilt last fall ? Do you think the quilt is sufficient 

 protection over the brood-chamber in this climate (northern 

 middle Tennessee). A. B. Ginneb. 



Answer. — Better leave the packing on too long rather 

 than remove too early. If you know that bees have plenty of 

 stores, and they appear to fly strong in numbers, there may 

 be no need to remove the packing till about the time you want 

 to put on supers. At any rate, leave it till fruit-bloom, unless 

 there be some special reason to the contrary. Opinions differ 

 as to leaving on the quilt in winter, perhaps the majority re- 

 moving it. A quilt is usually well covered with propolis, and 

 gives little chance for absorption or upper ventilation. But 

 with strong colonies and abundant opening below, there may 

 be no need of upward ventilation. With everything glued up 

 tight overhead, if the entrance is very small the bees will not 

 get enough air, but the tendency nowadays seems rather 

 toward larger entrance below without so much regard to what 

 is above. 



In Tennessee bees might go through a winter well with 

 no protection except a quilt and the board cover, but they 

 might do better with more covering over them. The e.^peri- 

 ence of those around you, and especially your own experience, 

 will be a safer thing to go by than the opinion of one who has 

 very different winters from yours. It may be well to say that 

 quilts are not used to the same extent as formerly, many hav- 

 ing cast them aside entirely after having used them exten- 

 sively. A flat board directly over the hive or over the supers 

 is now the general rule. 



Xhe McEvoy Foul Brood Treatment Is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " i^oul Brood; Its Natural 

 History and Rational Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for SI. 10. 



