368- 



^GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



the cellar that causes the bees in them to come 

 out and die. The point we are getting at is 

 this: If we can not successfully reduce the tem- 

 perature in the cellar, we can, perhaps, reduce 

 it in the hives themselves by allowing some of 

 the surplus heat to escape. 



Now, please understand, dear readers, that 

 we have not committed ourselves to either idea. 

 We have offered these suggestions only as linos 

 of experiment for another season. A great 

 many, like H. R. Boardman, have success with 

 sealed covers and open bottom: Mr. West win- 

 ters successfully with a fast bottom; but with 

 upward ventilation. 



Since writing the above the following article 

 from R. D. Avery has come to hand. It is right 

 in line with what we have been saying, and the 

 success of the writer is no small argument for 

 upward ventilation in the cellar.] 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



STJCCES.S WITH UPWARD VENTILATION. 



I see that there is quite a diversity of opinion 

 as to cellar wintering of bees, as to whether the 

 cellar should be cemented, ventilated, etc. Well,- 

 the " Major " and I winter our 400 and odd 

 hives in a cellar, dirt floor — measurements 19x3.5, 

 and 7 feet high: no ventilation at all. When 

 the hives are taken into the cellar, the tops are 

 left off and the frames covered with burlap to 

 let the moisture escape. We have very little 

 trouble in wintering in this way. If the bees 

 get uneasy and start a roar, we open the cellar 

 door at night; if the temperature is colder out- 

 side than in thecellar (if itisM)o?-mcr ontsM7c,do 

 not open that door) leave it open for a couple 

 of hours, when the chances are that the roar 

 will be silenced. We lost only 2 out of 4(M) 

 this last winter, managed as above, and have 

 averaged that for many years. We have done 

 away with all sub-earth ventilation, etc. Such 

 things are of no use whatever. 



MOVING BEES TO AN OUT-YAKD. 



Now about the moving of bees to and from 

 out-apiaries. Of course, we have a lot of that 

 to do every spring and fall, and I have just 

 hauled out 220 hives in six days, with a one- 

 horse wagon, making two loads a day, with the 

 thermometer ranging from 70 to SO degrees. 

 The bees had to be shut up in the hives very 

 early in the morning, before any flew out. As 

 the hive we use has a fast bottom, fixed frames, 

 and a slat for covering the entrance, held in 

 place by a button on the front of the hive, this 

 was a very easy job. These bees were hauled 

 seven miles, part of the road being quite rough, 

 and the last load was not released before four 

 o'clock in the afternoon. What ventilation did 

 we have? None — absolutely none, and none is 

 needed. These bees are good normal colonies, 

 covering about six frames of brood at this date, 

 and most of them on new brood-frames, and 

 not one was broken down, nor any bees smoth- 

 ered. This is not only the experience of one, 

 but of many years in moving bees; and I have 

 no hesitation in saying that bees can be moved 

 at least ten miles, over fairly good roads, in a 

 spring wagon, with the thermometer at 70°, 

 without any ventilation whatever. Rough 

 jolting roads are more to be dreaded than any 

 thing else in moving bees. R. D. Avehy. 



Independence, Mo., May 4. 



[Most bee-keepers for some reason seem to 

 find it necessary to use screen tops for the hives 

 for moving at temperatures from 70 to 80°. The 

 character of the roads probably decides this 

 question to a very large extent. Much jolting 



causes uneasiness on the part of the bees, and 

 hence more ventilation would be required. As 

 you are perhaps awaie, we move without screen 

 tops, but do use wire cloth at the entrances. It 

 can do no harm, and may be quite necessary.] 



ABSORBENTS VS. SEALED COVERS. 



WOOD WOOL, AND HOW IT W0I:K.S A.S AN 

 AB.SORBENT. 



The subject as per above caption has not 

 been fully discussed, and I beg for space in 

 which to give further results in my experiments 

 of wintering bees on summer stands. In Glean- 

 ings for May 15, 1891, page 374, I gave results 

 ill a way very satisfactoiy, of packing with 

 mineral wool, with chaft' cushiori on top. Chaff 

 can not be regarded as in any sense an absorb- 

 ent. Its loose texture allows of the free escape 

 of moisture in the form of vapor; but it does 

 not hold this in suspension, except mechanically 

 as it rests In more or less minute drops within 

 the mass of the chatt'. One may say this is the 

 effect of any absorbent, which is entii-ely true; 

 but frequently, on lifting a chaff' cushion one is 

 surprised by quite a rain of drops of water, 

 which is never the case with a true absorbent, 

 as will be shown fui'ther along. 



As packed last winter, my colonies came 

 through with a minimum loss, building up rap- 

 idly in the spring, and giving me 12 prime 

 swarms from 18 colonies before May 22d; but I 

 noticed the combs were moldy, as were the 

 dead bees; and the corners of the hives were 

 saturated with water, and. as a consequence, I 

 was not satisfied with the protection afforded 

 to the brood-chamber by the chaff cushions. 



My attention was flrst attracted to absorbent 

 cotton, a material greatly employed in surgical 

 practice; but the cost of this article caused its 

 rejection. 1 then thought of submitting cheap- 

 er substances to the action of chemicals show- 

 ing an affinity to water, such as sodium hydrox- 

 ide, etc. This, however, was abandoned, not 

 because it was not feasible, but because some- 

 thing inflnitely better was discovered. 



In the practice of my profession I had been 

 using, when requiring a cheaper absorbent than 

 prepared cotton, a preparation known as wood 

 wool — a superior article for the uses and i)nr- 

 poses intended. My application to the import- 

 ers of this prei)aration, the Hygienic Wood- 

 wool Co.. of New York, stating my object, was 

 met courteously with the assurance of their 

 cooperation, and the wool, in any form, at once 

 placed at my disposal. At my suggestion an 

 order for pads of the material, one inch thick, 

 and of sufficient size to fit closely in a Dovetail 

 super, was placed at their factory in Germany, 

 pads to be covered with coai'se cheese-cloth. 

 In addition to this they sent plates of compress- 

 ed wood wool, one inch tinck. iind the exact 

 size of tlie inside of the super. These, however, 

 were found unavailable, as they were so stiff 

 they could not be made to fit snugly. Samples 

 of both, at my i-equest, were forwarded to you 

 last Novemlxu'. 



At the proper time in the fall, my colonies, 

 18. wen^ placed in their winter ca.ses. with out- 

 side piotection of mineral wool, substantially 

 as described in the article in INIay (tleanings, 

 and a pad of wood wool as pi'otection over the 

 brood -chamber: this last was placed in a super. 

 The tojj of the hive proper was withdrawn to 

 one side so as to leave a crack of one inch, al- 

 lowing free circulation l^etween the super and 

 the winter case. Over all was placed the top 

 of the winter case: and as the winter case has 

 strips of wool cloth tacked around the upper 



