1911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



211 



I have known the thermometer to register 

 near 78 degrees outdoors for a week, and not 

 go above 44 in the cellar during the same 

 time. Bees that have had proper ventila- 

 tion during the winter will not dart out of 

 the hive when the doors are opened in the 

 spring, and, after being placed on their sum- 

 mer stands, do not rush out for a flight as if 

 crazed by a scent of fresh air. 



We enter this upper room on a grade, and 

 also the lower room and cellar at grade. In 

 Fig. 1 the door at the left enters the second 

 floor; the door to the right (partly back of 

 the operator) leads into the workroom, and 

 on into the cellar beyond. Figs. 2 and 3 

 show the high bluffs surrounding the apiary, 

 also the surface of the yard, which slopes 

 toward the honey-house. 



Camillus, N. Y. 



BOTTOM VENTILATION TO PREVENT 

 SWARMING. 



BY E. E. COLIEN. 



I'm a young bee-keeper, though past 65 

 years of age, and find much pleasure (and 

 profit too) in the occupation. I commenced 

 four years ago last June with two colonies. 

 The first year, by natural increase, I doubled 

 my stock. The second year I again doubled, 

 and the third year I doubled again plus one, 



making 17 colonies. The fourth year, after 

 losing several swarms that escaped to the 

 woods, I cellared 34 colonies, six of which 

 were late swarms that T fed up in Septem- 

 ber. The spring of 1910 found me with 32 

 colonies in good condition. 



With the advent of settled warm weather, 

 and the first appearance of white-clover nec- 

 tar, I raised every hive at the four corners on 

 ^-in. blocks, and left them so to the end of 

 the honey-flow. Each hive was shaded from 

 9 until 3 o'clock. 



A near neighbor, Mr. L. W. Eastling, who 

 commenced bee-keeping about the time I 

 did, thought to try the ventilation plan too; 

 but, fearing bad results by going the full 

 measure, he raised his hives at one end only, 

 and only Yz in. by way of experiment. Now 

 note results: My 32 colonies gave me only 

 5 swarms, rousing big ones, one of which 

 produced 30 lbs. of surplus besides filling 

 the brood-frames completely; and this in 

 the shortest honey season on record here. 

 My aggregate of surplus honey for this sea- 

 son of drouth, without a parallel, was a lit- 

 tle over 1000 lbs. of fine while-clover and 

 basswood honey, and all the hives well fill- 

 ed with winter stores. My friend ^Ir. East- 

 ling, with just the same number of colonies, 

 also cellar-wintered, and all good strong 

 stocks in the spring, was forced to care for 

 eleven swarms, and lost a number that flew 

 to the woods. He estimated his surplus at 

 700 lbs. 



E. B. COLIEN, MANAWA, WIS., WHO HAS 'BEEN TRYING BOTTOM VBNTUvATION TO RE- 

 DUCE SWARMING. 



