1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1311 



THE KOOF. 



This is the point where so many fail by not 

 getting it fi'ost-proof and water-tight. These 

 two things are of all things to be avoided — 

 a leaky roof and one so poorly made as to 

 let in frost. After seeing in use and using 

 various styles of covering for a bee-cellar I 

 am of the opinion that a good shingle roof 

 made to project well over the side walls is 

 the best. Joists should be placed on the 

 walls, and ceiled up overhead, and the 

 whole space from this to the point of the 

 roof well packed with some non-conducting 

 material like forest leaves, chaflf. or straw — 

 leaves to be preferred. The joists should 

 extend out to the outer side of the side walls. 

 and a board nailed to their outer end, so 

 that the packing would come clear out as 

 far as the walls go. 



DOORS. 



Entrance to cellar should be large enough 

 to admit a wheelliarrow. and there should 



greatest use of a ventilator is in controlling 

 temperature; but it should not be ignored as 

 a means of pui'ifying and changing the air. 

 Toward spring and during wai'm spells in 

 wintex". when bees get to roaring, all venti- 

 lators and doors should be left wide open 

 during the night and tightly closed during 

 the day. 



TEMPERATURE. 



As even a degree as possible is best. A 

 temperature of 45° is ideal, but a rise of 5° 

 toward spring seems to do no harm, and a 

 fall to 40° does no great harm if not contin- 

 ued more than 24 hours. 



ESSENTIALS TO SAFE WINTERING. 



Good food, proper temperature, and bees 

 not too old are the three cornerstones of 

 good wintering. It might seem that, after 

 knowing what are the essentials, then get- 

 ting them, there would be no uncertainty 

 about the matter: but getting these condi- 

 tions is where C(jmes the rub. If all vears 



'^"^ 





1 n I ii-i; t TT" 



C. A. HATCH S PLAN FOR A BEE-CELLAR. 



Dimen.sion of Intake. 6x8 inches; of Outlet, 8x10 inches; Space between Ceiling- and Roof filled with Leaves. 



be two doors with space enough between so 

 that one could be closed l)efore the other is 

 opened — say a room 4x4 ft., or, if more 

 convenient to build, it might be 4 ft., and 

 the width of the cellar; or, in other words, 

 an ante-room cut off from the out end of the 

 cellar. 



VENTILATION. 



Notwithstanding all that has been said 

 and written about ventilation I am strongly 

 in favor of it — not too miu*h in coldest wea- 

 ther, but some at all times; but it should l)e 

 arranged so as to be under perfect control, 

 both the intake and the outlet. It is a mis- 

 take to try to ventilate a cellar with only 

 one ventilator. Provision must be made for 

 taking in air as well as letting it out. The 



were just alike, or if bees gathered always 

 the same kinds of honey, then it would be 

 comparatively easy; for after trying a cer- 

 tain kind of honey for winter food, and find- 

 ing it poor, all we would have to do would 

 be to reject that kind; but, unfortunately, 

 no two seasons are alike, and bees gather 

 sweets some years from sources before un- 

 known; and a kind of honey that would be 

 excellent food if weather conditions were 

 right might prove disastrous under other 

 conditions. Some have solved the pi'oblem 

 by giving the bees only sugar syrup for win- 

 ter food. There is no question but that this 

 is the safest food to give them; but the labor 

 and expense of taking away the natural 

 stores and substituting the sugar is no small 



