1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1373 



spell; but 1 am sure it is a mistake to venti- 

 late iu that way. I tiutl I ean keep the bees 

 in Ijetter condition l\v excluiling the outside 

 air from the 1)ee-room as I have described. 



During the notable warm spell last winter 

 from the lltth to the 23d of January, which 

 continued liot. night and day. which bee- 

 men are likely to rememl^er. I had 100 strong 

 colonies in one room treated l)y the plan 1 

 have given, and carried them through with- 

 out trouljle. No fresh air was admitted 

 from the outside. The bees became very 

 quiet as soon as the weather outside liegan 

 to cool, and remained so the rest of the win- 

 ter, although the room remained at a tem- 

 perature of 50° and upward. If the bee- 

 rooms should be allowed to liecomc hot. and 



A few days lief ore I am ready to carry in 

 the bees I Ijreak all of the hives loose so they 

 can be lifted from the l)ottom-l)oards without 

 disturbing the bees. If the swarm is extra 

 strong I place a small block under the hive 

 at the back side. This induces the bees to 

 vacate the bottc^m-boards. 



In the bee-house the hives that are now 

 without l)()tt(jms are placed abinit six inches 

 apart, and tiered xip, each over the open 

 space lielow. The hrst row is set on hive- 

 covers arranged in the same way. This 

 gives abundant ventilation to each colony, 

 and allows the dead bees and all other ref- 

 use to drop out of the hives. This plan of 

 arranging the hives in the l)ee-room is better 

 ada])ted to my style of hive — which is a deep 



H. R. BOAKOMAN S BEE-HOUSE FOR WINTERING BEES; BUILT ENTIKEI.Y ABOVE GROUND. 



the bees in an uproar of excitement at such 

 a time, I should despair of any thing short 

 of a cold wave to reduce the temperature 

 and restore quiet. 



SETTING IN THE BEES. 



I like to put the Ijees in winter quarters 

 before severe cold weathei', or usually about 

 Nov. 15 in my locality, and in a falling tem- 



Eerature. as they will be more (piiet. and 

 andle better. They should have stores to 

 carry them through to the early bloom of 

 spring. If any are short, feed up early in 

 autumn with sugar syrup. In this case an 

 alnindance is economy. I should hardly 

 think of feeding in the bee-house in winter 

 unless it were by giving sealed stores, and 

 this only in an emergency. 



square hive — than to the shallow hive of the 

 Simplicity pattern. I regard this method as 

 one of the very practical things in my l)ee- 

 house management. 



SETTING THE BEES OUT. 



I used to set the bees out for a winter 

 Might. I am now satisfied there is no benefit 

 from it. If the bees are wintered properly, 

 and are in good condition, they certainly do 

 not need it. If in l)ad condition, it will not 

 help the matter. I have not found it neces- 

 sary to set out any ])ees in winter for many 

 years, and prefer that they stay in until near 

 the first of April, depending something upon 

 the C(mdition of the weather. I consider it 

 important that they be set out on a warm 

 l^leasant day. Bees are demoralized in try- 



