THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



223 



brood started will be, however, quite 

 small, usually not over four inches 

 in diameter, so that no great increase 

 of temperature is required. They 

 start no more unless they have fre- 

 quent flights, until in March when 

 extensive breeding begins and hiber- 

 nation ceases altogether. 



Hibernation is secured only at a 

 low temperature. It commences at 

 a point below 50° and becomes more 

 profound until we reach 41°. Go- 

 ing below that it gradually becomes 

 less until below 32°. Going below 

 this point the bees become active 

 and the labors, destructive to their 

 vitality and life, begin. Severe cold 

 and currents of air interrupt hiberna- 

 tion and should be provided against 

 in order to the most successful win- 

 tering. Before bees are placed in 

 cellars, the cellars should be cooled 

 to 41° by opening hatchways or ven- 

 tilators at night, and the temperature 

 should be kept down by the same 

 means if inclined to rise. If the tem- 

 perature goes below 41°, I would 

 advise to raise it by the use of an an- 

 thracite oval stove and keep it as near 

 41° as possible till the first of Febru- 

 ary. Then raise the temperature to 

 48" and keep it there until the bees 

 are set out. Two very serious mis- 

 takes are often made in placing bees 

 in cellars : the first is in having the 

 cellar too warm ; and the second is 

 in allowing currents of fresh air to en- 

 ter through sub-earth pipes. Both of 

 these conditions prevent hiberna- 

 tion and tend to restlessness. 



In hives protected with chaff, saw- 

 dust, etc., we get a near approach 

 to the condition secured in a single- 

 walled hive in a repository ; and, if 

 the protection is sufficient, bees will 

 winter out-of-doors as well as in. But 

 it is plain, if we are to secure uniform 

 temperature, we must winter in spe- 

 cial depositories. My objection to 

 chaff-hives is the cost and the labor 

 of preparation for winter. 



New Phila., Ohio. 



p. R. Russell. 



SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE WINTERING 



ON SUMMER STANDS WITH 



GOOD RESULTS. 



To solve the problem of wintering 

 bees successfully requires the appli- 

 cation of a little common sense in 

 connection with practical experience. 

 In the early days of my beekeeping, 

 I had very poor success in wmtering, 

 not having a proper knowledge of the 

 matter. I then used the single-wall 

 Langstroth hive holding ten frames, 

 and sometimes I attempted to win- 

 ter them on their summer stands, and 

 at other times in the cellar. In the 

 former case, I did not contract the 

 brood-nest at all, or give much of 

 any protection, supposing the hive 

 was all the protection needed, but I 

 found out my mistake after a while. 

 Wintering in the cellar proved a fail- 

 ure also, as my cellar was damp and 

 unsuitable. 



Now for six winters past I have 

 left my bees on their summer stands 

 packed in planer shavings, mostly, 

 and with very satisfactory results. 



In September, I contract my hives 

 to their winter status by removing all 

 surplus boxes and extra brood-frames, 

 never leaving in more than eight 

 combs, and from that down to six 

 according to size of colony. By 

 Oct. ist if any are found having less 

 than twenty-five pounds of stores for 

 winter they are at once fed up to 

 that figure ; then I let them set until 

 I get ready to pack them, meantime 

 throwing over the brood-chamber 

 a plenty of old woollen mats and 

 other things (by the way, I am a great 

 hand to keep the bees covered up 

 warm at all times, summer or winter^. 

 Early in November, I pack for win- 

 ter by filling the vacant space be- 

 tween brood-combs and outside case 

 with shavings. There is no particu- 

 lar merit in shavings, over other ma- 



