964 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. i5 



bees ' so'very close, and there will be no up- 

 ward ventilation, and the hives will become 

 damp, and the combs will become moldy, and 

 the bees diseased; and, as a result, they will 

 come out in bad condition in the spring." 



It occurs to me that this bad state of 

 things which some seem to fear is not the 

 result of close packing and warm hives, but 

 the result of loose packing, too much cold, 

 and too much upward ventilation. Absorb- 

 . ents are all right if warm. However, the 

 only absorbent that I use is the propolized 

 canvas, flat on the frames, and then two 

 thicknesses of heavy building-paper, and 

 then a large chaff cushion, loose chaff or 

 forest leaves, as the case may be, then the 

 three hive-covers on top with the tight cover 

 to the winter box, which completes the job. 



With my present method, if I wish to 

 examine any bees in the middle of the win- 

 ter or any other time I find them clustered 

 between the frames dry and warm and con- 

 tented, and they smilingly look up into my 

 face and seem to thank me for my extra 

 care in providing for their wants. If the 

 weather is suitable for them to take a win- 

 ter flight, they are ready to improve it. 

 But allow me to say that they do not espe- 

 cially need it. I doubt very much whether, 

 packed this way or not, they consume any 

 more food than when placed in the cellar. 



While the common chaff hive is good 

 enough if warmly packed, I prefer my win- 

 ter cases, for I can make them warmer, and 

 they warm up much better in the spring 

 and hold the same temperature in spite of 

 the changes of weather. It has been argued 

 that so much bulk of packing is detrimental; 

 that the rays of the sun can not penetrate; 

 that the hives remain cold, and that brood- 

 rearing is retarded. I think this is some- 

 what imaginary, and I am quite sure that, 

 with my way of packing, it is contrary to 

 my experience. The continuous warmth of 

 three colonies stored up and held under tight 

 covers is far more potent than the fickle rays 

 of the sun; and the real fact is that the whole 

 body of chaff is warmed and remains so. 



The most of my hives are i inch deeper 

 than the standard L. , making the frame 

 just 10 inches from top to bottom. I think 

 it is true that this deeper hive will generate 

 more heat than a more shallow one. I run 

 my bees for comb honey, and I like this 

 deeper frame. It gives me more depth of 

 brood and more bees, and it is bees that 

 make honey. 



The whole surplus energy and warmth and 

 odor from this deeper and more populous 

 hive flows up into the super above, warming 

 the sections and the foundation, so that I 

 have very little trouble in forcing bees into 

 the sections. There is such an upward push 

 that they must go above. 



My first bee-keeping was with the old 

 King hive, forty years ago. The frames 

 were 12 inches deep. The surplus boxes for 

 comb honey were 4 inches in depth, covering 

 the whole top of the hive with glass in each 

 end, with two or more auger-holes in top and 

 bottom for bees to enter, and without comb 



foundation or sections or any of the modern 

 helps. We have often secured over 100 lbs. 

 of comb honey per colony, spring count. At 

 that time we knew nothing of the many 

 devices to control swarming. Some of these 

 plans are practical and of great value; but 

 any plan that will Interfere with the natural 

 working condition of the hive is harmful. 



One thing is sure— that bees in good work- 

 ing order, left to their own sweet choice, 

 will swarm. We may argue the question 

 with them or try to persuade them to post- 

 pone the job with our non-swarming devices, 

 but for all this convincing argument— 



They have the same opinion still. 



For swarm they must and swarm they will. 



Well, I like to see them swarm— it is a 

 sign of prosperity. They are satisfied. They 

 think they have started in house-keeping 

 anew, and they work all the better. If we 

 manage them right we shall get just as 

 much surplus honey with no increase, unless 

 we desire it. 



Hillsdale, Mich., March 11. 



[What our correspondent has to say on the 

 subject is, in the main, orthodox according 

 to our experience. I would add, however, 

 that sealed covers are better than absorb- 

 ents, as a rule. When there is only a po- 

 rous covering between the packing-material 

 and the bees, the former is liable to become 

 wet, and, in a very cold spell, freeze. It is 

 then but little better than a cake of ice. We 

 found that our bees seemed to average bet- 

 ter with a thin board cover which they may 

 seal down. Enamel cloth, or an old carpet 

 thickly coated with propolis, is almost as 

 good. Our correspondent uses practically a 

 sealed cover, and therein is a part of the se- 

 cret of his success. When he puts an abun- 

 dance of packing-material all around, and 

 especially on top, he supplies another impor- 

 tant factor in the problem. But there is 

 one thing upon which he is silent. He does 

 not say any thing about restricting the size 

 of the entrance. The smaller the entrance 

 the better, providing it is always kept clear 

 of dead bees. An entrance 4 in. wide and J 

 deep we have found to be quite sufficient. 

 This will usually keep reasonably clear. I 

 should prefer an entrance only one inch 

 wide, but there is a liability that the bees 

 will clog it up. Hay or straw piled over the 

 entrance during the coldest weather is all 

 right providing the snow does not melt and 

 then freeze up, sealing the entrance. That 

 is the experience we had late last spring; 

 and such colonies did not do as well as those 

 that had no straw at all. 



Any chaff hive sold by manufacturers can 

 be made to winter bees except where the 

 mercury remains below zero for any length 

 of time; but the looser the packing-material 

 the more of it should be used. We use a 

 tray five inches deep filled with planer-shav- 

 ings. These lie directly on top of a tin su- 

 per-cover which the bees have hermetically 

 sealed with propolis. A cover telescopes 

 over the whole, making the hive warm and 

 tight. -Ed.] 



