662 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1920 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



where it is cold and dry, the method might 

 be even more desirable than for mine. Last 

 winter I used only sufficient packing to keep 

 the earth from going between the hives. In 

 a cold climate I would use six inches of 

 straw all over the hives except where the 

 entrance-tubes are. 



The trench is a dead furrow running east 

 and west, and made with a team and plow. 

 Another time I think I would make a back 

 furrow, first plowing six or eight feet wide, 

 then plowing a dead furrow in the middle. 

 This would make the ditch on higher ground 

 and prevent water from entering in the 

 spring. The walls form a right angle into 

 which the hive is placed with the back 

 against one wall and the bottom against the 

 other, the entrance being toward the south. 



Into the entrance should be inserted a fly- 



See that the inch board extends over the 

 tube slightly to prevent the earth from fall- 

 ing down the end and closing it. It is well 

 to clean out a little under the end of the 

 tube, which will make it absolutely sure 

 that there will be no stopping it up in the 

 winter. With a board over the tubes, they 

 were not bent nor stopped up, tho the 

 trenches are on a spot in the sagebrush 

 where sheep are herded and the lambs have 

 great fun in playing on the banks. 



And now for the results. I buried the 

 first hive in the garden Oct. 15, having pick- 

 ed it up from the side of the shop a few 

 rods away. The next day was bright and 

 warm, and the bees were at work on the 

 sweet clover and aster. I expected that 

 many of my bees would go back to their 

 old stand, but they all marked their loea- 



How Thos. Chantrv of W.ll 



Utali, Iiuries his bees in (lie open plains country. 



tube made of tin. These tubes are easily 

 made of 15-cent milk-cans. Throw the cans 

 on a pile of weeds and set on fire. Then 

 knock the heads off and pound them into 

 tubes % inch in thickness, or just so they 

 will go into the entrance of the hive. In 

 each tube put two small strips of wooil to 

 keep the pressure from closing the tube. 

 Drive a small nail thru the tin and each 

 strip of wood at the middle to prevent 

 them from slipping out. This will make 

 three bee-entrances; but with the thumb 

 and finger draw the two protruding sticks 

 nearlj' together, leaving only a bee-space. 



Pack earth around the tube, then lay a 

 1 by 6 board just so the edge will protrude 

 over the tubes. Set the hives as close as 

 they can be placed together, and over the 

 top put six inches of straw and four or 

 more of earth. After all is done, examine 

 3ach tube to see that it is not stopped up. 



tion and went back to the tube, and for two 

 weeks did good work carrying in honey. 

 Next an apiary of 100 hives was buried on 

 Nov. 1. The weather was warm, and each 

 colony marked its location. Two other api- 

 aries were buried after this date. I went to 

 Denver in December, and was there until 

 March 1. December was cold, with the tem- 

 perature at times below zero. January was 

 warmer, with a good many days when the 

 bees were busy flj'ing. I was not with the 

 bees, and left no one in charge, for I felt 

 that, whether the days were cold or warm, 

 the bees were all right. March was mild 

 and very wet. We had two snows that were 

 each five inches deep, and heavy and wet. 

 They both went off with a rush, leaving 

 much water. I watched the bees and no- 

 ticed on level land one trench which was 

 filling with water. I at once lifted the hives 

 and found a few inches of water in them, 



