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(i 1 , 10 A N I N C; S I N BEE C U L T U K K 



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kind (if (|ii;i iters is (if iikmc iinpuitaiu-o tli;iii 

 •■III cxtni .".II or cNcii (id ilavs' coiifiiioniciit . " ' 



Ira I>. Uartli'tt, East Jonlaii, nortluMii 

 Miclii>raii: ' ' lloro, when Nov. 10 to 20 arrives 

 ami \v«' tail to got a bee fliglit, if threatening 

 weather appears, we may get a foot or more 

 of snow and some very severe weather, 

 which would seem to he bad for bees out- 

 doors. It may elear away and we may have 

 some very nice weather in whieh the bees 

 would lly, but 1 question the advisability 

 of taking the ehance. Last fall I put my 

 bees in on Nov. 7 following a fair flight. 

 Others left theirs out. Snow and cold fol- 

 lowed and continued during the winter. 

 They were forced to put theirs in because 

 . of the snow, and later theirs showed signs 

 of dysentery while mine showed none. I 

 feel tliat we cannot take the chance. I ex- 

 l)ect to place mine in the cellar by Nov. 15 

 this fall. I feel that on good stores they 



are safer." 



» » » 



J. D Robinson, Levering, extreme north 

 ern Michigan: "Of course, everyone is 

 agreed on the desirability of the bees having 

 a good fly, but suppose they do not get one 

 up to the middle of November! With us 

 there is not one chance in ten that the bees 

 ran get one after that date. By that time 

 we generally have snow that stays till spring. 

 We feel very regretful if the bees do not 

 get a good fly late in October or early in 

 November: but, if they don't get it, it cer- 

 tainly does not help matters any to leave 

 them out all winter on the very remote 

 fhaiice that they may possibly get a flight 

 before spring. The opinion is growing on us 

 that while early flights in the spring and 

 late flights in the fall are very desirable, 

 still a good colony with good stores in a 

 good place will stand a ])retty long confine- 

 ment. We are inclined to the theory that 

 the element of the kind of stores and the 



Tiic chief reason for desiring a good flight 

 before ])lacing the bees in the cellar is that 

 the bees may rid themselves of the accumu 

 hitions of undigested materials. If the bees 

 have had a flight in early November or late 

 October and no exceptionally severe weather 

 is experienced for the next week or two, 

 even if a favorable day comes the bees are 

 often loath to take a good flight. The only 

 conceivable reason for this is that they do 

 not feel the need of it. The reason they do 

 not feel the need of it is that they have 

 lived on good pure food and have not used 

 up an excessive amount of food in keeping 

 the temperature at a comfortable point. 

 Experience has shown that when the ' bees 

 have consumed only pure food such as good 

 white honey, it is not necessary for them 

 to have another flight previous to placing 

 them in the cellar. If they have a food 

 Containing much indigestible matter, a flight 

 before placing them in the cellar would be 

 more necessary. The question seems to re- 

 solve itself into one of food rather than of 

 time. 



An essential part of the preparation for 

 winter by the wise beekeepefis the removal 

 of the honey that is not fit for winter food 

 and the substituting of a good grade of 

 honey or sugar syrup. If this has been done, 

 then it seems that the best beekeeping prac- 

 tice is to put the bees in the cellar when the 

 time comes regardless of the time of their 

 last flight. Mr. Aeppler throws still more 

 light on this important question when he 

 shows that in his locality during the last 

 46 years there were onlv 8 oi^portuuities 

 for "flight after Nov. 20. " That must mean 

 that the leaving out of bees after the i)ro])er 

 time for placing them in the cellar lias 

 ]»assed is a gamble with the chances almost 

 six to one against the beekeeper. 

 East Lansing, Mich. B. F. Kindig. 



J, .\. Lewis of M.iiliii.svilli'. Jnd.. winli-r^ his coloiiies on sliplvcs imilcr ;i loii:; 



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