840 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov 



OUTDOOR ^^INTERING. 



PACKING WITH PLANEK SHAVINGfi, ETC. 



TT may interest your readers to know tiow we 

 ^ pack our bees for the winter, and we may say 

 ^l summer too, as the bees are not taken out of 



■^ the packing- when once placed there. When 

 packed, the bees are surrounded on all sides, 

 also top and bottom, with from six to eight Inches 

 of planer shavings. The packing-boxes are made 

 any length convenient. Those I have are 16 feet 

 long, and hold 8 swarms. i*ome of Mr. Hethering- 

 ton's are 14 feet in length, and hold 7 swarms. Thei' 

 are 3 feet wide. The front is 4 feet high, and the 

 back is 3 feet. 



The upper board at the back is hung on hinges, 

 and turns down even with the top of the body of 

 the hive. The box is covered with a shed roof, 

 which is fastened with hinges to the front, and is 



damp and moldy. We cover all with shavings to 

 the depth of six or eight inches, and so adjust the 

 cover that no water can enter. Now if your bees 

 have a supply of good stores, you may confidently 

 expect to find them all right in the spring. 



If mice are troublesome, a di.sh of corned mtat 

 with a little Paris green on the top of the packing 

 is advisable. We used to make a temporary box, as 

 recommended by D. A. Jones, and remove it in the 

 spring. Our present method saves all this packing 

 and unpacking in the fall and spring. The swarms 

 build up faster in the spring than those unprotect- 

 ed, and they need no shading in the summer. They 

 wiu'er as well as in any place, excepting a good 

 cellar. 



This method has been used quite extensively in 

 this vicinity for several years, and we find no more 

 trouble in loss of queens than when tho swarms are 

 further apart. 



(). .J. HETHEBINGT0N"S BEE-HANCH, near east SAGINAW, MICH. 



covered with felt paper, which stands the weather 

 better than tarred paper. The roof is divided in 

 the middle, and is raised up when manipulating the 

 bees. The back board is also cut in two, so that 

 half the box can be opened at a time. 



Two boards arc set up edgewise in the box for the 

 hives to rest upon, and a covered passageway 8 

 inches wide and half an inch high is made for the 

 bees to pass out and in, on a level with the bottom- 

 board of the hive. 



For convenience, the part under the hives is pack- 

 ed before the hives are set. After the hives are set, 

 and the passageway for the bees is adjusted, pack 

 even with the top of the hive. All this packing so 

 far is intended to remain summer and winter. In 

 packing for winter I prefer V)oards over the frames, 

 with a two-inch opening for ventilation. This open- 

 ing we cover with wire gauze, to keep out the mice. 

 Without this opening the combs sometimes get 



The inclosed photograph is of O. J. Hetheriog- 

 ton's bee-ranch, which contains Ironi so to 100 col- 

 onies. There is a basswood forest on the north and 

 west sides. That shown In the picture is to the 

 north. The honey and store houses do not show. 

 It is a little more work to take off honey than when 

 the hives stand separate; but the advantages of 

 this method more than overbalance this extra labor. 



Mr. Hetherington has charge of my bees as well 

 as his own. He can be seen to the left in the pho- 

 tograph, and your humble servant on the right. 



East Saginaw, Mich. L. C. Whiting. 



Friend W., we are very mucli ol)liged iu- 

 deed for the fine photograpli you give ns of 

 O. J. Hetherington"s bee-ranch. The idea 

 of packing a group of liives together so as 

 to economize in piickittg, also in lumber to 

 hold the packing, bus lu-en several times ad- 

 vanced; but I believe that, as a rule, most 



