THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



201 



For the American Bee Journal. 



How I Winter niy Bees, 



D. L. SHAPLET. 



I use the Quiiiby hive and the 

 Qiiinby standing frames, the out- 

 side dimensions of the hive being 

 2i!x24 inches, but the majority of them 

 I have made U4x2G inches, as it gives 

 more space for packing tor winter- 

 ing. The lieight of the hive is 18 

 inches ; the covers are roof-shape with 

 3 rafters, and project over the front 

 of the hive G inches. The outside 

 dimensions of the frames for the 

 brood-chamber are 17%xn%. I use 

 7 or 8 frames for each colony of bees, 

 according to tlie size of the colony. I 

 use a 3^-inch board with cleats on it, 

 on each side of the frames, and the 

 whole is held together with a cord ; 

 that leaves 3 to 4 inches on each side 

 for packing, and 6 inches on top. 

 During the winter of 1882-83 I used 

 oats chaff, and out of 16 colonies I lost 

 only 1 , and that by carelessness or 

 ignorance. It was a late swarm, and 

 did not have its hive over two-thirds 

 full of comb, so I took a frame well 

 tilled with honey from another colony 

 and gave it to them, and on April 1 I 

 examined them and found them about 

 out of honey. I tlien gave them, as I 

 thought, suflicient to carry them 

 through, but about May 1 they starved 

 to death. 



During the winter of 1883-84 I used 

 newspapers from 2 to 4 in thickness 

 at the ends of the frames, and used 

 more straw with the chaff ; the chaff 

 alone collected too much moisture tlie 

 winter previous, especially in those 

 hives that were packed the most 

 solid. I found I had to be very care- 

 ful to pack the chaff but very little. 

 I did not lose any bees that winter. 



For the winter of 1884-8-5 I packed 

 the hives with oats straw, cut with a 

 straw-cutter, and used paper such as 

 is used to line buildings with. I win- 

 tered 22 colonies and did not lose any 

 in wintering. One was queenless, 

 and the root of one hive leaked, the 

 comb molding badly, and consequently 

 the colony was very weak ; they were 

 robbed the last of April. The colony 

 that was queenless was the only one 

 that showed any signs of diarrhea, 

 and I attributed that to their being 

 uneasy on account of the loss of their 

 queen. There was a large number of 

 bees that died in this section of the 

 State, and I think my success re- 

 markable, and cannot account for it 

 in any way, except as I packed them 

 for winter. 



I have now 40 colonies similarly 

 packed, except that I have this win- 

 ter raised the brood-frames about lij 

 inches from the bottom of the hive 

 to leave more space for dead bees, 

 etc. Winters previous to this, every 

 week or ten days I cleared the en- 

 trances to the hives.of dead bees, with 

 a wire hook ; this winter I have 

 cleared them but twice — the last time 

 about two weeks ago, and I found in 

 many of the hives from 1 to 3 or 4 

 young bees dead (that were nearly 

 ready to hatch), showing that there is 

 now brood in most of the hives. 



There is no signs of diarrhea yet. I 

 contract the entrances as soon as I 

 think they have brood in the hives. 1 

 place a board 12 to 14 inches standing 

 over the hive-entrance ; it is nailed 

 to a V-shaped piece on each side, and 

 if pains are taken to set it close up to 

 the front of the hive, it effectually 

 prevents the entrance from being 

 stopped up, especially if a little snow 

 is put around the bottom. I think 

 thatif 11. C. P., in Query, No. 196, 

 will try this, he will find it will be 

 satisfactory. 

 Randallsville.O N. Y. 



For tne American Bee JoumaU 



Preyentioii oHw arming, etc. 



6— WM. MALONE, (5-31). 



I think that I have discovered how 

 to prevent bees from swarming while 

 working for comb honey. It is as 

 follows : Get the lower story full of 

 bees and brood, then select a comb of 

 unsealed brood and eggs and place it 

 in the front end of tne upper story. 

 Put in 3 wide frames tilled with sec- 

 tions and starters, with tin separators 

 next to the brood-comb ; then a divi- 

 sion-board next that must fit closely 

 so that the bees cannot get behind it. 

 Then cover all up snugly, and as soon 

 as you Und the first frame of sections 

 sealed, take it out. slip the other 2 up 

 to the brood-comb, put in the empty 

 one next to the division-board, and 

 so on. 



After the colony gets stronger give 

 them another wide frame, but not too 

 fast ; I seldom use more than six at a 

 time. When the brood is all sealed 

 in the comb, exchange it for one filled 

 with eggs ; and never leave a frame 

 of sections in after the honey is 

 sealed. The secret is to keep a frame 

 of unsealed brood and as much un- 

 sealed honey in the hive. If honey is 

 coming in freely you will take out one 

 frame every day, and some days more, 

 after you get a start. 



I have only one chaff hive, and 1 

 have used it for producing comb 

 honey for four years, and I have never 

 had a swarm from it. I believe I 

 could manage 50 with the same re- 

 sults. I also believe that we will 

 overcome this swarming difficulty yet. 

 I would like to have others try this 

 plan and report results. 



In November I buried 9 colonies of 

 bees in clamps. About Dec. 20 it 

 caved in, and I did not notice it until 

 Jan. 5, 1886. The hives were in water 

 6 inches above the entrance. Snow 

 was on the ground, and a north wind 

 blowing on the day I took them out. 



Twice the mercury was 26^ below 

 zero in January, and they had no 

 flight until Feb. 7. The hives were 

 under snow for 3 weeks, and the en- 

 trances frozen full of ice. They are 

 all alive and in splendid condition. 



In reply to C. W. Dayton, on page 

 725 of the American Bee Jouknal 

 for 1885, 1 would say that I did in- 

 crease my apiary from 5 colonies to 

 31 ; I did get 965 pounds of honey ; 

 and I am going to winter my bees, 

 too. 1 can prove it if need be. Last 



year was the best for honey that I 

 have ever seen, taking the season 

 through, from April 15 to Oct. 15. 

 Oakley,? Iowa. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Preparing Bees for Winter. 



WM. m'kenzie. 



I prepare my hives in the early part 

 of the fall, before the bees begin to 

 cluster for winter ; of course, always 

 knowing their condition previously 

 as to strength of the colonies and the 

 amount of stores. In preparing the 

 hive itself I use from 3 to 4 inches of 

 line, dry basswood shavings, which 

 makes a good absorbent of moisture. 

 In the morning of the day that I in- 

 tend putting the bees into their win- 

 ter quarters, I raise the hive an inch 

 from the bottom-board (which I have 

 found from practical experience to be 

 of great value in keeping all moisture 

 from the hives), and giving them at 

 the same time plenty of fresh air, 

 without causing any current of air 

 through the hive, or taking away 

 from its warmth, which are three very 

 essential factors in successful winter- 

 ing. 



The bee-cellar is prepared as fol- 

 lows : There are two ventilating 

 tubes, one leading under-ground from 

 the outside about 30 feet from the 

 cellar; the other leading from the 

 cellar about a foot from the floor, up 

 through two stories into a chimney 

 above, by which means there is a con- 

 stant current of air passing in and 

 out of the cellar ; and in placing the 

 bees in the cellar I have the hives 

 raised about 2 feet from the floor, and 

 have it covered with 2 or 3 inches of 

 drv sawdust, which prevents any jar 

 or "noise, when it is necessary to look 

 at them during their confinement. 



In taking them from the cellar in 

 the spring, I place them in rows on 

 the south side of the house, and be- 

 tween and at the back of the hives I 

 put plenty of hay, which I have found 

 of decided benefit on account of the 

 cold nights we have to contend with 

 in this section of the country, and 

 especially after taking the bees from 

 their warm winter quarters. It is 

 also a great preventive against "spring 

 dwindling." to which our bees are so 

 liable if not kept sufficiently warm 

 during the changeable and trying 

 time of early spring. 



By the above method I have suc- 

 cessfully wintered my bees for the 

 last 2 years, and now they are in fine 

 condition ; there is no appearance of 

 moisture about the hives, and the 

 bees themselves are hanging down 

 below the frames, and in many cases 

 touching the bottom- boards. 



Port Burwell, Ont. 



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 and Bee-Keeping-, can be had at this olJice iu 

 parts. Price, $3.00. 



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