Nov. 15, 1911 



I 



turn to ice, preventing the bees getting air; 

 and then arrangement has been made at 

 each yard to remove the obstruction. 



Some of the readers of Gleanings have 

 wondered that I should be wintering my 

 bees outside when a first-class bee-house 

 costing $1000 is available. 



WHY I WINTER OUTDOORS INSTEAD OF IN 

 MY $1000 CELLAR. 



When wintering in the above-named cel- 

 lar my method was to remove the bees from 

 the cellar and place them on stands. They 

 were next taken to clover pasture, sometimes 

 a distance of thirty miles. Next they were 

 taken to buckwheat, and finally returned to 

 the bee-yard in connection with the cellar. 



By this method the hives and bees were 

 unprotected during the spring, also in the 

 autumn, until placed in winter quarters 

 about Nov. 20. I was also compelled to be 

 on hand when the cold weather began to 

 moderate in spring, and there was always a 

 good deal of anxiety as to the best time to 

 set out, sometimes to find that, owing to 

 conditions of weather, many bees had per- 

 ished in their first flight, and others had 

 drifted to the disadvantage of the weaker 

 stocks. 



Again, I had to be on hand in the autumn 

 until about Nov. 20; and even after that, 

 the outside doors required too intelligent 

 and expert judgment to regulate to trust to 

 inexperienced hands. The bees were thus | 

 often unprotected, which was injurious to ! 

 them, not only in the spring but during 

 cold damp days and nights in the fall of the 

 year. In the spring, with low temi^erature, 

 I have found the bees quiet and inactive, so 

 that practically no enlargement of the brood- 

 space was taking place when bees packed 

 offered a strong contrast in their interior ac- 

 tivity. 



METHOD OF WINTERING. 



As I now winter the bees shown in the il- 

 lustrations in connection with this article, 

 four twelve-frame Langstroth hives are win- 

 tered in an outer case; two hives are placed 

 in the case side be side, and another two 

 also side by side, but back to back with the 

 first pair. This makes two sides of each hive 

 have the best of winter protection — namely, 

 the protection of other hives warm with 

 bees. 



The cases consist of a platform of half- 

 inch boards nailed upon three cleats 1x4 

 inches, the two at each end being on edge, 

 to give strength. The three cleats extend 

 half an inch beyond the side of the plat- 

 form, and are so arranged that the two at 

 the ends project half their thickness beyond 

 the ends of the floor-boards. 



By this construction the half-inch siding 

 lumber may extend down past the floor, 

 and rest upon the half-inch projections all 

 around, protecting all from lodging water 

 and snow. The sides and ends of the case 

 are made of tongue-and-groove material, Yt 

 inch thick, 23 inches high, and therefore 

 make a case deep enough to hold an extract- 

 ing-super on top of each hive. This half- 



inch stuff is kept together and strengthened 

 by a cleat on the inside, lv2 inches, and 

 half an inch shorter than the side or end is 

 high, namely, 22>^ inches. These cleats 

 come even with the top of the case, but are 

 yi inch short at the bottom, the object being 

 to allow the side or end to extend the half- 

 inch below the top of the platform, and 

 rest on the end of the bottom cleats, as men- 

 tioned. 



The cover of the case is made of half-inch 

 material nailed at the ends to lv2>^-inch 

 cleats. These latter cleats extend down over 

 the case. They strengthen the cover; and 

 if the locality is windy the^' can be fastened 

 to the case by means of hooks. The lumber 

 is covered with roofing-paper nailed to the 

 wood part of the cover, and made water- 

 tight by the judicious use of roofing cement. 

 The cases, from the above description, will 

 be seen to have a perfectly level or flat cov- 

 er. They can be made to shed water by 

 slightly raising one side of the case. 



The bees go in and out through the case 

 by means of %-inch round holes. Three 

 are recommended, Ijut I will confess I have 

 found that size of entrance inadequate in 

 the spring before removing from the case, as 

 I leave the bees packed sometimes until clo- 

 ver is opening, having many supers on be- 

 fore removing from the case. 



The case is set on blocks 8 to 12 in. high, 

 one at each corner. This takes them above 

 water and ice which may lie or form on the 

 ground. There are no sui)ports for the cen- 

 ter cleat, as this is held \\\) to the case by 

 means of galvanized iron straps 6x1 incli, 

 binding it to the siding. Considering the 

 tendency to settle and heave, it would be 

 practically impossible to support the case 

 evenly at six points, and by using the above 

 device it is unnecessary. 



In making my cases I followed the direc- 

 tions of Mr. Jacob Alpaugh, as also in build- 

 ing the fences described below. 



The colonies in their ten-frame hives are 

 packed in leaves about one inch underneath, 

 three inches in front, six inches at the sides, 

 and about 10 inches on top. There must be 

 a shallow air-space left between the leaves 

 and under side of the cover, and some small 

 onenings to allow the air to circulate over 

 the leaves and carry away the moisture 

 which rises from the cluster below. This 

 latter is very important, as it prevents mois- 

 ture from condensing and freezing at the en- 

 trance in cold weather. 



OUTSIDE PROTECTION. 



No one not conversant with the matter 

 can realize the advantage and comfort to be 

 derived from a high fence about the apiary. 

 The freedom from cold winds during the 

 winter is of very great importance; and with 

 an apiary of 100 colonies two seasons' use 

 would amply pay the cost of a fence 8 feet 

 high about the space needed for that many 

 colonies. Then the comfort, during windy 

 days, when working in the apiary, is great. 

 In the Ebert yard I have a space 60 feet 

 square for 40 winter cases (160 colonies), 

 which is ample. Then there are large ap- 



