0(-'T(ini;i:, 192-J 



OliEANINGS IN BMK CULTURE 



63<) 



t.-iiiiiiif; inuin'itics of llic packing material 

 are in the minute uir spaces vvitliin this m;i 

 terial. If material too coarse, such as straw, 

 excelsior, or coarse planer sliavings, is used, 

 the air spaces being large will permit some 

 circulation and tlierefore a more rapid loss 

 of heat. Tlie packing material should be 

 fine enough to prevent this. For the same 

 reason tlie space between the walls of a 

 double-walled hive should not be left un- 

 packed. If the confined air in this space 

 could not circulate there would be no need 

 of packing, but the difference in the tem- 

 perature of the inner and the outer walls 

 causes air currents within this so-called 

 "dead-air" space that result in a rapid 

 loss of heat unless this space is filled with 

 packing. In this sense the function of the 

 packing material is to prevent the move 

 ment of the air between the outer and the 

 inner walls, the confined air itself being tlie 

 means of preventing the rapid escape of the 

 heat. Wheat chaff if obtainable, fine planer 

 shavings from a planing mill, forest leaves 

 that are broken and crushed so that the 

 spaces between are small, or dry sawdust are 

 the materials most commonly used. In any 

 case, the packing material must be kept dry 

 since wet packing would be w^orse than none. 



Loss of Heat by Air Currents. 



No matter how much packing is put around 

 a liive, if a large entrance is left wide open 

 the packing will do but little good. The 

 same thing is true if cracks or openings 

 other thaji the entrance are left where cur- 

 rents of air can pass through. Those who 

 use the double-walled hive having a tray 

 with burlap bottom for holding the packing 

 on top should snug down the packing mate- 

 rial around the outer edge of the tray to 

 be sure there can be no air currents be- 

 tween the lower edge of the tray and the 

 water table below. If the hive could be 

 hermetically sealed with the exception of a 

 small entrance, there would be but little if 

 any loss of heat from air currents. In the 

 far north where a slight amount of upward 

 ventilation may be necessary to prevent the 

 condensation of moisture within the hive, 

 it is well to place a sheet of newspaper 

 .above the quilt to prevent air currents from 



imssiiig out througli the paching at the to[) 

 of t lie hlvt!. 



The Entrance. 



The bridge or tunnel forming the entrance 

 through tlie packing should be generous in 

 size, and the entrance proper reduced to the 

 required size on the outside. In most cases 

 % of an inch high by the full width of the 

 hive is plenty large enough for the tunnel, 

 though some beekeepers prefer to have the 

 tunnel IMi or even '2 inches high and not so 

 wide. An opening through the outer case 

 or 8 inches wide and the same height as 

 the tunnel, but provided with a button fas- 

 tened at one side of the opening and of 

 such a length that it closes the opening ex- 

 cept about three-eighths of an inch wide at 

 the end, is a good construction for the en- 

 trance. When this button is turned in the 

 position to close the entrance it forms a 

 winter entrance % of an inch wide and 

 from one to two inches high, according to 

 the depth of the opening in the outer case. 

 Such an opening could not well become 

 clogged with dead bees, even though none 

 should be carried out of the hive during the 

 winter. Instead of this construction some 

 prefer to bore four or five ^/^-incli auger 

 holes through the outer case, and close all 

 of these except one or two during the coldest 

 weatlier. There should be no alighting- 

 board attached to the outer case because 

 this only serves to collect the snow or sleet 

 during the winter. 



Paper Winter Cases. 

 Those who do not care to invest in expen- 

 sive winter cases can winter their bees just 

 as well in winter cases made of tarred paper 

 at very little expense. When slater 's felt 

 is used and the bees are packed in groups of 

 two colonies each the expense for the tarred 

 paper is less than six cents per colony. This 

 material is so cheap that it is best to burn 

 up the paper in the spring when unpacking 

 and buy new each year. This method of 

 packing bees was described in the October 

 (1921) issue. Those who do not have this 

 number of the journal can no doubt pack 

 their bees in this way by studying the illus- 

 trations on pages 644 and 645 in this issue. 

 When a form such as there described is used 

 bees can be packed rapidly by this method. 



Ajiiary in Kansas packed in eases made of tarred paper tacked to a light frame\\'nrk. 



