374 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1. 



<■!•. Now wash thoroughly, on a warm day. the 

 horse or cow, and use asyringe to treat the hog. 

 Avhich. from its more sparse hair, is more easily 

 leached. Cattle, etc.. can be treated in cold 

 weather by blanl\"eting warmly as soon as the 

 washing is completed. Tiie advantage of this 

 is. that it kills not only the lice but the nits, or 

 eggs, as well: and if thoroughly done, it van- 

 quisiies tlie foe. The propoi'tions of tlte above, 

 as will be seen, are diffei-ent from -those I have 

 usually given. This is Dr. Riley's method, and 

 makeseasilya more stable mi.xture. Tliis liquid 

 is one of our most valuable insecticides. 

 Agricultural College. Mich. A. J. Cook. 



WINTER CASES. 



WHAT AKE THE ESSENTIALS TO MAKE THEM A 

 srCCKSS ? 



Now that the light thin-walled winter cases 

 are about to come into general use for spring 

 protection and for wintering, many would per- 

 haps like to know how my bees have wintered 

 in them. I have about .50 colonies in winter 

 cases, a good part of which have been in use 

 for five years. I have never lost a colony in 

 tliem. The past winter was vei-y wet and 

 damp: and early in January I discovered that 

 the excelsior packing was getting too damp for 

 safe wintering. So. tlie first day the sun shone 

 clear, I took out the packing and dried it, and 

 some tliat was very damp or wet was replaced 

 by new and dry packing. In February and 

 March, one day in each montli was selected, 

 and the hive covei'S and packing removed 

 again, and dried out by the sun and wind. For 

 the past five weeks it has been excessively 

 damp and cool, so that, up to the present time. 

 April 8, no pollen has been gathered, and the 

 bees have been out but little. There are now 

 many young bees, and every colony is strong, 

 and in the best possible condition. Many of the 

 colonies have not lost a bee. so far as can be 

 seen, seeming to hibernate most of the winter. 



My belief is. that perfect quiet and perfect 

 wintering can not be had in outdoor wintering 

 unless the hives are warmly packed in winter 

 cases, and the packing kept dry. I think, also, 

 that, to bring the combs through the winter, 

 free from mold and dampness, there must be 

 some upward ventilation, but no free upward 

 ventilation, as where the air can pass freely 

 over the packing. !My jjlan has been to lift the 

 back end of the thin inside cover used on my 

 hives about Nov. 1. and insert a thin wedge: 

 then pack freely about and over the brood- 

 chamber, and shut th(^ cover of the winter case 

 down as tight as it will go. This prevents any 

 loss of heal from the cluster of bees, brings the 

 combs through the winter bright and clean, 

 and the bees in the most vigorous and healthy 

 condition. 



The only objection that can be urged against 

 the plan is. that the packing may become damp 

 and finally wet. and is apt to result in the loss 

 of the bees if not attended to. On the other 

 hand, if free currents of air are allowed over 

 and about the packing, there being a little up- 

 ward ventilation so the combs will not become 

 moldy, the packing will do little good in the 

 way of protection: and in a long cold winter 

 many colonies will be lost from dysentery, etc. 



If we leave the upper parts of the hive sealed 

 up tight as the bees will naturally do, we shall 

 get moldy combs in the lower parr of the hive, 

 if we pack the bees with absorbents, except 

 there be extensive and free bottom ventilation: 

 which, however, does not result in as good win- 

 tering, or in as good condition of the combs, as 

 the plan advised. P^or myself I prefer to deal 



with the dami) packing rather than with sickly 

 bees and moldy combs. Moreover. I have found 

 it less labor and trouble than any other mode 

 of wintering I have tried. 



As to winter cases and dead-air spaces about 

 the brood-chamber, I fully agree with Mr. J. A. 

 Green. Mr. Doolittle. and others. It is better 

 protection than none, but vastly inferior to 

 good packing rightlv managed. G. L. Tinker. • 



New Philadelphia. ().. Apr. 8. 



PROTECTION FOR BEES. 



WINTER CASES AND PACKING DURINf4 THE 



YEAR : MINERAL WOOL AND ITS XOX- 



CONIUCTIVITY OF HEAT. 



I have for some time been convinced of the 

 inutility of chaff, cut straw, cork shavings, etc., 

 used as a protection in wintering bees. In the 

 winter of 1889. chaff was used to pack a number 

 of colonies, and spring dwindling and moldy 

 combs resulted in several instances, while a few 

 hives packed in wheat bran came through in 

 fine condition. Tlie bran packing, presenting a 

 bait for vermin, was abandoned. This summer 

 my attention was attracted to a new material, 

 aiid I resolved to test it. I now have my col- 

 onies all packed snugly, and ranged on the four 

 sides of my large strawberry-bed. The case is 

 made of good 'u pine lumber: the sides of floor- 

 ing: the bottom and ends each of one piece: 

 the top, two boards cleated on the ends, and the 

 crack coated with white lead and covered with 

 tin four inches wide. The case is intended to 

 accommodate the Dovetailed hive. It gives a 

 space of P.J inches on the sides and 3 on the 

 ends, while the height will allow of the placing 

 of a super to hold the chaff' cushion. Three 

 coats of white-lead i)aint renders the case im- 

 pervious to water — first, however, puttying all 

 cracks and holes. The top is held in position 

 (a necessary precaution against our mountain 

 storms) by two Van Deusen clamps, one on 

 each sideof the cover, which projects i.< inch 

 over the sides of the case. That the clamps 

 may lie closely to the case, a semicircular hole, 

 embracin.g two-thirds of the thickness of the 

 cover, is bored for their reception in the sides 

 of the covei'. and the hole enlarged on the lower 

 aspect for the better play of the clamp in lock- 

 ing and unlocking. The bottom-board is not 

 nailed, but fits irlthin the case. The case may 

 be removed, and the packing gathered up from 

 ai'onnd the hive. 



The entrance to the hive is left wholly open: 

 but the opening in the case is ^axS inches, usu- 

 ally. This may be enlarged or wholly closed 

 by a convenient slide. The edges of the case 

 immediately under the cover have strips of 

 woolen cloth tacked down, so that, when the 

 cover is placed and clamped down, it is water- 

 tight. Ventilation, if thought necessary, may 

 be provided for as in the Simplicity hive, by 

 holes in the end-boards under the cleated cover, 

 which projects sufficiently to afl'ord protection 

 in blustering, rainy, or snowy weather. The 

 hive is now placed inside and packed with 

 rnlnevdl it'ooZ. or silicate cotton, as it is called 

 in England. The wool should be picked apart 

 and packed loosely but firmly, and care taken 

 that the fibers be not broken by the force ap- 

 plied. 



I wish to call attention to this mineral wool 

 as the idcdl material for wintering bees, not 

 onlv in cases on their summer stands, but in 

 suitable -buildings with double walls, ceiling 

 and flooi-, with a three or four inch space packed 

 with the wool. Hee-cellars would then be a 

 thing of the past. 



