546 



THE AMERICA^ BEE JOURNAL. 



September I, 



(All rights reserved by the Nhrtherti. Neicspaper Syndicate, 

 of Kendal, Eiifjlatid.) 



PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING, 



WITH 



HINTS TO BEG-INNERS, 



BT 



Autfior of •■ Bees and Bee- Keeping," '' Fleasurnble Bee-Keeping," etc. 



No. 9.— WINTERING. 



Every spring reports from all parts of the country deal 

 with extensive losses of eolonles. The ordinary observer may 

 be excused if he infer from such accounts that as losses 

 usually occur early in the spring wintering is a subject of dif- 

 ficulty, and a great stumbling block to the great majority of 

 bee-keepers. As a matter of fact, the losses are, I venture to 

 assert, due in nine casi^s out of ten to absolute carelessness or 

 neglect, tho oftentimes the result of ignorance as to the bees' 

 requirements in the shate offood. It is not so much that bees 

 require in the winter proper, as tho consumption of food then 

 by a strong and well protected colony is comparatively small : 

 but it is rather when breeding has commenced in earnest that 

 stores rapidly diminish : and this is in March and April, just 

 before new honey is brought into the hive in quantity suffi- 

 cient to supply the daily wants of the bees and the ever-in- 

 creasing number of hungry grubs. 



To winter bees successfully is not a difficult matter in the 

 British Isles, but it is one of the most important problems that 

 the bee-keeper has to face, and if he can solve it, as he may 

 and should without difficulty or expense in time or money, he 

 will have got one step, and a big one, too, nearer that success 

 in bee-keeping we hear much about but seldom realize in our 

 own apiaries. 



A colony properly wintered should come out in the spring 

 stronger in bees than it was when closed up early in October 

 the previous autumn, instead of being, as colonies too often 

 are, weakly and thin in numbers throughout the spring. 

 Scaled stores should also remain in such quantity as will en- 

 sure the colony having a sufficient supply to carry it well on 

 to the time when the new hooey comes in abundantly. The 

 requiremenis of success are : ( I ), a (jood, substantially-made 

 and weather-proof hive; (2), a good colony of bees, by which 

 must be understood that there are several seams of bees be- 

 tween the combs instead of two or three, and that the bulk of 

 them are bees that have done little work, being in fact such as 

 have been brought into existence by the system of feeding re- 

 sorted to from the close of the honey-flow. Some lots are per- 

 missible sometimes, but only when young queens are being 

 preserved to take the place of any that for any reason have 

 died during the winter. If these small lots are confined to 

 about three frames, and are well packt, they may in case the 

 queens are not required for other colonies, to built up into 

 really good colonics in time to take advantage of a late honey- 

 flow ; (3). combs well stored with honey or syrup, and sealed : 

 (4), winter passages and abundanceof covering to the frames. 

 If colonies are carefully tended from the close of the 

 honey-flow to Oct. ], and the above conditions observed, 

 strong, vigorous colonies may be assured the following season. 



THE HIVE. 



Dealing with each point in order, we must first consider 

 the hive. It is a fact that a single-walled hive costs less than 

 one with double-walls, but it certainly is not more economical. 

 By using hives with double walls all around we shall find the 

 colony better protected both from winter cold and summer 

 heat than would be possible with single-walled hives. We can 

 regulate the temperature in summer by ventilation, but with- 

 out double walls we cannot give that protection in winter 

 which is of the first importance when we deal with the con- 

 sumption of stores. The novice or beginner in bee keeping 

 should theref6re seore one point in successful wintering by 

 starting with doubU-walled hives. The wood should be pine 



or red deal well seasoned and thoroughly painted. In winter 

 color is of little importance, but in summer a reflection, not 

 absorption, of heat Is required. Mr. A. I. Root, the noted 

 American bee-koejer, said some years ago that he had stopt 

 the melting and falling of combs, and in some cases the con- 

 sequent loss of bees, by paintingall his hives white. I strongly 

 advise white, or a light stone-color paint for the hives. 



THE BEES. 



As at the beginning of the honey-flow a large quantity of 

 worker-bees is necessary if full supers arc to be oMajned. so 

 at the commencement of winter we must make a point ol get- 

 ting and then keeping all colonies strong. 



If there are weak lots unite two or more together alter 

 removing the least valuable ciueen. To unite, shake both or 

 all lots on a cloth and let them run together into an empty 

 skep where they had better remain until evening. Ihen 

 shake them in front of a hive that has been properly prepared 

 for wintering. The bees of two lots may b.^ united peaceably 

 by sprinkling them thinly with flour from a dredger and then 

 piacing the frames with adhering bees alternately in a fresh 

 hive The stronger the colony in bees the less is the honey 

 consumed. This appears strange, but it is quite true ; a small 

 lot of bees in a hive containing several combs are restless, 

 with the consequence that they consume honey to raise the- 

 temperature lowered by the cool air surrounding them. 



The food supply may be ample owing to a particularly 

 favorable season after the supers have been removed, but even 

 if feedin" has to be resorted to very little time will be needed 

 to perform this part of the work. In order to obtain young- 

 bees for wintering a supply of Puerto Kico sugar given at- 

 the close of the honey-flow, will probably be all that is neces- 

 sary to continue breeding up to the middle of September, 

 when whatever further supply is needed to make the colony 

 safe for the winter can be given in the form of syrup in one or 

 two doses. No colony should be considered safe unless it has 

 stored in the combs at least 20 pounds of honey or syrup and 

 sealed most of it over. The arrangement of this food is a 

 matter of some importance, for if the bees are crowded upon a. 

 few frames and fed liberally they will fill e^ery available cell 

 with syrup, and then thev will te compelled to cluster during- 

 the winter upon sealed combs instead of upon empty cells, as 

 is more natural, and having stores above and around VVitb 

 the movable-comb hive the arrangement of the combs for win- 

 tering is. in the hands of a good bee-keeper, a simple matter ; 

 but if feeding is continued up to the middle of September, and 

 the propev amount of food is then given, the bees will arrange 

 it around the brood, which gradually diminishes by the bees 

 hatching, conveniently for their comfort and convenience. It . 

 the combs are arranged by the bee-keeper, the center ones 

 should have scaled stores about half-way down, the amount of 

 stores increasing to the outside of the brood-nest. 



WINTER PASSAGES. 



Bees often starve in the midst of plenty. They winter in 

 lots called "seams" between the combs, and may be seen 

 packt like slates upon a honse-roof, the top row removing the 

 food from the cells atove them to feed themselves, and by 

 passing ii, down, those below. While the weather remains 

 mild the bees are able to move about from comb to comb in 

 search of food, or with the onject of bringing to the center 

 combs food stored in the outer frames: but this activity ceases 

 as soon as really cold weather sets in and they thou pack 

 themselves clo^e together for mutual warmth. Then, as the 

 food around them is consumed, they die sinnily on account of 

 the cold air by which they are surrounded : they cannot pass 

 around or under the frames to a probable abundant supply 

 close by. Tho they are prevented going around or under the 

 frames a provision may be made for allowing them to pass 

 over the top-bar in the warmest part of the hive. This is 

 done by giving what are known as "winter passages. Ihe 

 old method, now almost discarded, was to cut a hole through 

 the comb in each frame near the top-bar. A more effective 

 passage could hardly be devised, but apart from si oiling the- 

 combs it is a tiresome and troublesomi> operation, and is there- 

 fore not recommended. A simple plan is to lay across the- 

 top-bars four pieces of wood half incli square and about six 

 inches long, half inch apart. If the quilts are then laid e\^n\r 

 across, effective passages for the bees will be provided. Then 

 again a cake of candy laid 6pon the frames when closing up- 

 the hives in October will te equally satisfactory, for passages 

 will be formed as the candy is consumed over the bars. 



QUILTS. 



Quilts are the coverings which the bee keeper places upon 

 the frames in order that the heat generated in the brood- 

 chamber may be there confined. The less bees are disturbed 

 the better are they likely to succeed, but at no time is it more: 



