GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



CONVERSATIONS with DOOLITTLE 



At Borodino, New York 



BE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH. 



" What is the quantity of stores 

 needed by a colony of bees during 

 the winter'? " 



There have been various esti- 

 mates at different times by differ- 

 ent writers, the amounts ranging 

 from 7 to H5 pounds. This question is 

 surely of some importance to b;'eksepers, 

 for, if an average colony of bees may be 

 wintered safely on 7 lbs. of honey, it is of 

 no us3 to let them consume any more, and 

 we might as well save the 28 lbs. of the 

 higher estimate. But from past experience 

 I have found that scanty stores often prove 

 a nuisance, in that it is better to have more 

 stores than the bees consume than to be 

 obliged to feed in early spring. 



" But sui:)p( se we call the amount 18 lbs., 

 or half of the higher estimate — how would 

 that do?" 



I am not sure but that it might be a 

 mistake to set down any stated amount as 

 absolutely and exactly sufficient, for the 

 reasons that colonies not only differ in num- 

 bers, age of bees, etc., but winters also 

 dilTer in duration, in suddenness of changes, 

 high winds, etc., and the number of sun- 

 shiny days or stormy days even have some 

 influence on the question. 



Colonies which are wintered in the cellar 

 consume less honey than those wintered 

 out of doors; but in localities where the 

 winters are comparatively mild, if the bees 

 are .strong in the fall the difference between 

 outdoor and. indoor wintering is not so 

 great as some would have us think. Most 

 beekeepers agree that comparatively weak 

 colonies will consume more stores according 

 to their numbers than the more powerful 

 ones, owing to the necessity of producing 

 heat thru the consumption of stores. For 

 this reason some contend that it is undoubt- 

 edly better to winter the weak colonies in 

 the cellar and the populous ones out of 

 doors. I have had colonies which would 

 consume in the cellar only a pound of 

 stores a month, and come thru in the best 

 condition, while another colony in the same 

 row, and apparently having the same num- 

 ber of bees and in the same condition, would 

 consume from three to four pounds a month. 

 To have limited all to a winter's store of 

 one pound a month would show the short- 

 sightedness of any apiarist. 



" But, all things being equal, is it best 

 to leave a strong average colony a large 

 amount of honey, say 30 to 35 lbs.?" 



I held to the larger supply, even tho the 



(juantity left in excess after wintering might 

 constitute a sufficient amount to cause some 

 to think if it had been sold it would have j 

 paid for an ordinary season's management. 

 Those advocating a small amount of winter 

 stores depend upon feeding in early spring 

 to keep the colony along; but from years of 

 experience along this early spring feeding 

 I have found that we are quite likely to be 

 caught in March or early April with a spell 

 of a week or ten days of real winter weath- 

 er, during which the bees will often fail to 

 go after the feed; and the result is starved 

 colonies or colonies greatly injured by the 

 loss of brood thru a fear of starvation from 

 a too scanty supply. Those advocating the 

 short supply of stores for winter seem to 

 think that brood-rearing can be made to 

 forge ahead much faster by feeding the bees 

 half a pint of thin sweet every day than by 

 any other method; but from experiments 

 along this line for many yeais I can only 

 think that such is a mistaken idea. By set- 

 ting apart 20 or 40 colonies and feeding 

 half of them Avhile the other half were left 

 rich in stores from the previous season, but 

 without feeding, and then comparing notes 

 regarding each half the unbiased mind can 

 prove the real truth in this matter. And 

 if we stint our bees without any feeding 

 we compel them to reduce brood-rearing. 

 Any colony which has not enough stores to 

 make the bees feel " rich," or to feel that 

 there is a great plenty ahead, will be much 

 less prone to breed the latter part of March 

 or in April, just at the time an abundance 

 of brood should be started if we are to se- 

 cure tlie best results in the early clover 

 han'est. The apiarist who is so fond of his 

 bees that he is willing to go thru with the 

 buying of the feed and the labor of feeding 

 every day, or who Avill not pass three days 

 without examining them, may be able to 

 remedy any shortage in good time and feed 

 when he sees it necessary ; but to those who 

 make bee culture a matter of earnings, and 

 who have also other things to occupy their 

 minds, it seems far preferable to leave the 

 supjDly largely sufficient in October, and 

 trust in the wisdom of our pets as to the 

 use of that more than sufficient supply. 



Of one thing I am sure : None of the 

 honey will be wasted if the colony winters 

 successfully; and an abundant supply, as a 

 rule, tends toward successful wintering. 

 Successful wintering of a colony rich in 

 stores will give a " stronger army " for the 

 honey season than if their stores are con- 

 trolled and scantily supplied. 



