1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



479 



LEAVING SECTIONS ON AIAa AVINTER. 



BY THE ONE WHO FIRST SUGOESTED IT. 



M S I sit at the head of the cl"«iwho leave sec- 

 J^\ tioii 9 on all winter, and by reason of having- 



' first started the investigation, I feel a lively 



interest in all that has been said the past five or six 

 months on the subject. Having- carefully noted the 

 developments and sifted the evidences, I would 

 now gi\e you my conclusions, which are based also 

 upon my own experiences of top ventilation. 



In the first place, a rather serious error has crept 

 in, which might be the means of serious losses an- 

 other long- cold winter: it is this: you recommend a 

 ventilating opening right over the cluster. This, in 

 my opinion, would be very dangerous, unless it 

 prtssed into a nearly tight receptacle above, which 

 would prevent a direct draft ttirough, such as well- 

 sealed honey-boxes or broad frame? made snug and 

 tight with propolis at the top-bars; any crack or 

 hole too large for the bees to close should be cov- 

 ered with strips to prevent draft. If the bees are 

 disturbed too late in the season to prevent their 

 closing up again, I would strongly urge covering the 

 broad frames snugly with enameled cloth, heavy 

 manilla paper, or any thing else air tight. 



If colonies are not strong and well provisioned, we 

 would not put on section?, because they can not be 

 got at for examination so readily; but put a few 

 narrow cross-sticks, long enough to reach across the 

 10 frames, placed near enough together to insure 

 free passages; coverthese with enameled cloth to 

 prevent them gnawing, then a straw mat the full 

 size of second story, and chaff cushion on top. 



The covering over enameled cloth will prevent the 

 condensation of moisture; but if there should be a 

 condensation, it (the condensed water; will be eag- 

 erly sought for by the little fellows as soon as they 

 begin to stir in warmer temperature. Neither clean 

 water nor fresh air will hurt them if not in excess; 

 but excess of either would be injurious. The ex- 

 periences of the past winter have shown that bees 

 can easily bear a eonfluement of .5 or (i months if 

 kept perfectly inactive; but as soon as incited to 

 brood-rearing, the trouble begins. My opinion is, 

 that, when not breeding, bees will consume only 

 honey— no pollen to any extent; then their excre- 

 ment will be dry and very slight; but when, by feed- 

 ing brood, they are compelled to eat and manipulate 

 pollen as well, they need to void the greater residue; 

 and if prevented in this by conflnement,.they be- 

 come diseased. 



Now, to prevent unseasonable brood-rearing 

 would be the great end to be sought ; for, first, it 

 excites to flying out at too low a temperature; sec- 

 ond, it exhausts stores tremendously; third, it 

 shortens the lives of workers niateriall}'; fourth, it 

 is undoubtedly injurious to the (lueen to greater or 

 less extent; and last, it is no benefit to anybody. 



Feed nocturnally during September and October 

 to get the hive full of young bees; at the same time 

 shortening the lives of the Julj^ and August brood 

 for the benefit of the winter supplies; then there 

 will be goodly numbers left in March and April. 

 Keep cool by gentle top ventilation, but not forget- 

 ting free access to all the combs by passages above 

 the top-bars; avoid a direct draft through the cen- 

 ter ; see well to it that they have plenty and to spare 

 of sealed stores; and if you can, shade entrances 

 from the sun. 



If any colony persists in flying when snow is on 

 the ground, give a little more top ventilation; this 

 will stop them readily. The broad frame with sec- 

 tions on all winter just suits us for strong colonies: 

 it gives the necessary space abo\-e the frames, and 

 it keeps the hive too cool to rear brood; it gives a 

 dead-air chamber above, without a draft; the bees 

 will not enter the section department except in a 

 body; and if they should, it would be the warmest 

 part of the hive, from which they could again 

 emerge at every point. 



When willows or maples begin to swell their buds, 

 take off the section^; supply sealed frames of hon- 

 ey, or trays of candy, where needed; cover down 

 tightly, and trust in (iod for the "increase." 



Cleveland, O., Sept. 1 1, ISSl. A. C. Kendel. 



Thanks, friend K. While I agree witli 

 yon in nearly all, 1 am not qnite satisfied 

 that a small opening right over the cluster 

 will do harm. A few days ago I met a bee- 

 man in an adjoining county, while waiting 

 for a train. lie had, if I recollect, last fall, 

 87 colonies. All died but one. I called to 

 see this one, It was an old box hive, with 

 holes open in the top, covered with a box set 

 over it loosely. More than that, it was split 

 from top to bottom, so it would seem the 

 wind might almost blow through it. Such 

 cases have been mentioned too often to be 

 accident. (See report on page 497). One 

 thing I fear somewhat, is that bees some- 

 times, after a cold spell, instead of getting 

 out at the entrance get into the upper story, 

 around the ventilators, and there perish. In 

 the old box hives, if the entrance was 

 stopped up they could go out of the hole on 

 top, and come back in the same way. In 

 our back numbers it has been already sug- 

 gested that the entrance is better if on top 

 of the hive for winter. Has this point been 

 sufficiently looked into V 



The following came to hand after the fore- 

 going was put in type : — 



When I wrote you two days ago, I touched lightly 

 upon bees eating honey in preferencs: to pollen ex- 

 cept when rearing brood. To-day I read with pleas- 

 ure Mr. James Heddon's article in the A. B. J. of 

 Sept. 7th, where he takes very much the same 

 ground. Now, while it gives me pleasure to know 

 that these thoughts came out almost simultaneous- 

 ly, and are the outgrowth of experienc3 and obser- 

 vation, it would appear as if this thought had been 

 suggested by Mr. Heddon, which is not the case. I 

 trust that such suggestions will result in further in- 

 vestigations of the thoughtful ones, and prove of 

 mutual benefit to us all. A. C. Kendel. 



HOW TO MAKE A MACHINE FOR PIERC- 

 ING TOP AND BOTTOM BARS FOR 

 AVIRED FRAMES. 



FKOCUKE as many harness awls (those having a 

 diamond-shaped cross-section) as you have 

 — ■ wires in your frame, and grind off the acute 

 angles so as to form a chisel or cutting point per- 

 haps 1-33 in. wide. Grind about /s in. up from the 

 point, and let the slant be nearly uniform. Now 

 draw the temper from the shanks so that a file will 

 cut them, and with a square-cornered file cut a notch 

 in an obtuse angle of each shank at or a little above 

 the largest part, cutting it nearly half off, and mak- 



