1362 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



^■()V 1 



each. I had 21 gootl ones in the spring. 

 One or two stai'ved, and one had too few 

 bees to survive. Weekly I weighed some of 

 these nuclei, and all were weighed when set 

 in and when put oiit. They were given 

 two winter flights. They wei-e put into the 

 cellar late in November, and set out early 

 in April, or possibly late March — I have for- 

 gotten the exact date. 



There were too many nuc^lei for the case, 

 for the ventilation proved insullicient. the 

 liees accumulating too nnich water in their 

 intestines. A single nucleus left by itself in 

 another part of the cellar wintered much 

 better, though it was given but one flight. 



FIG. 3. — liAl'.Y NLCLKl TACKliU IX IJOXKS UE.\1>Y FOH 

 WINTER IN A CELLAR. 



So much for the way it was done. 1 will 

 add, however, that it is not necessary to con- 

 struct a wintering-case. Baby nuclei prop- 

 erly prepared will winter splenditlly placed 

 singly or l)y pairs, in empty hive-bodies, the 

 entrance of the hive-body being left open, or 

 the body being set on (luartcr-inch l)locks. 

 and a burlap sack being thrcnvn over the 

 open top. The temperature of the cellar 

 shcnild not fall nuich below 40 nor rise uuu-h 

 above 55, unless, indeeii, the cellar be an ex- 

 ceedingly dry one. In a very dry cellar the 

 bees will not mind temperature changes of 

 considerable range, while in a moist cellar 



they suffer from the cold, anil become un- 

 easy from the heat. 



The preparation of these nuclei has much 

 to do with their wintering. One should not 

 try to winter less than half a pint of bees 

 alone, and a pint will do much better. 1 

 like bees enough to till three spaces between 

 the com])s of 4^X4^ sections. Fewer bees 

 find it difficult to keep warm. These nuclei 

 should have not less than three pounds of 

 stores, and I prefer four to five pounds. My 

 liaby hives will hold nearly five pounds of 

 stores when well stocked. My weighings of 

 last winter showetl that a pound will carry 

 one of these nuclei two months, it being re- 

 markable to see with what reg- 

 ularity these nuclei lost just two 

 ounces per week. 



If one wishes to try wintering 

 a few. let him proceed" as follows: 

 Make a box with an inside mea- 

 sure, of 8X4.}X4J, with a loose 

 bottom. Bore a |-inch hole in 

 ()ne end close to the open side. 

 Wedge four sections of cheap 

 honey in this box. Go to some 

 hive which can spare a pint of 

 bees, and shake out on the grass 

 two ((uarts of bees. Soon the old 

 bees will mostly go to the hive. 

 I should have said, to be sure, 

 that the queen is with the shaken 

 1/ees, a caged queen being placed 

 in the hive from which the bees 

 are taken. Set the little hive over 

 the pint of young bees on the 

 ground and let bees and queen 

 I'lin into it. If this operation is 

 done toward evening the bees will 

 stay, very few deserting the 

 ([ueen. If a strange (jueen is giv- 

 en, tlien the hive will have to 

 stand in a dark cellar about three 

 days. A hive prepared thus in 

 late Octol)er will winter well. 



I have even used an entirely 

 empty hive and fed the pint of 

 bees with honey ami syrup, forc- 

 ing them to build their own 

 com lis. This was done with two 

 such lots of bees last fall, being 

 forced to build and fill not only 

 their own combs but a set for an- 

 other lot of bees. Each of these 

 lots wintered excellently. They 

 reared no brood, and winteretl on 

 honey in virgin comb. They win- 

 tered much better than many lots which had 

 younger liees. 



I have fed these nuclei as late as Novem- 

 l)er 25th, and always practice feeding them 

 all through October and the first half of No- 

 vember, at which time rol)ber l)ees are not 

 .so troublesome. 



Many of these nuclei are those which have 

 been used all the season for the mating of 

 ({ueens. The stronger of these and enough 

 others are prepai'ed to care for all the gooil 

 surplus queens which I care to winter. 1 

 like to winter about a score of good vigorous 

 (]ueens with which to reciueen colonies in the 



