370 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



June 15, 1899. 



nearly as large a force as many of the old ones, is in ex- 

 cellent condition, and bids fair to rival the best. 



Our bees are wintered on the summer stands in houses, 

 built without any pretentions to warmth, merely affording 

 a shelter from storm and wet. About the middle of last 

 October the bees were warmly packt in short straw and 

 chaff, by placing- a board wall" about eight inches from the 

 rear of the hives, and filling this space and that in front 

 and between the hives with a mixture of short straw and 

 and chaff. The space between the hives in some cases is 

 two inches, and in others about five. 



A strong cloth was put on the frames, and a full-depth 

 super put on. Then one or two little woollen blankets, and 

 then the super was almost filled with chaff over which a 

 wirecloth was placed to keep the mice out ; then more chaff, 

 straw and forest leaves till all was entirely covered up. I 

 believe that the bees never suffered the least from cold, be- 

 cause, so far as I know, the temperature of the packing 

 never fell below 50 degrees. Measurements were taken 

 from time to time with the following results : 



Jan. 7 — Thermometer outside 10 degrees above zero ; 

 in packing, 30 degrees above. 



Jan. 19 — Thermometer outside 12 degrees above zero; 

 in packing, 42 degrees above. 



Jan. 29 — Thermometer outside 18 degrees below zero ; 

 in packing, 39 degrees above. 



April 20 — Thermometer outside 30 degrees above zero ; 

 in packing, 72 degrees above. 



April 24 — Thermometer outside 55 degrees above zero ; 

 in packing, 84 degrees above. 



The uniformly high temperature in the packing is owing 

 to the fact that there are no air-spaces around the ends 

 of the frames, and the heat of the cluster radiates thru the 

 walls of the hive and remains in the packing, thus protect- 

 ing the bees and brood from the bad effects of sudden and 

 severe changes in the weather. It is certainly a gratifica- 

 tion to the bee-master, when he packs his bees snug and 

 dr)' in the early fall, to know that they will not suffer from 

 cold, and will need no further attention until the next May. 

 It is also additional satisfaction, when wishing to look into 

 a hive, to turn two thumb-screws and lift out the frames 

 almost free of propolis. 



I wish to state here that four screens to a hive would do 

 the work better and more satisfactorilj- if two were placed 

 opposite the second frames from the sides of the hive. Sup- 

 pose we wish to expand the hive >'s of an inch, which I 

 think is sufficient to let the frames lift out, then we have 

 only to turn each of the four screws so much, and the space 

 is equal on both sides. 



If the bee-keepers in cold countries desire a hive that 

 combines in itself the advantages of the box for safe winter- 

 ing, and the loose frame hive with its facilities of frame 

 manipulation made more easy and agreeable, a hive in 

 which bees will winter better, packt in a shed secure from 

 storm and wet, without the trouble, expense, care and 

 anxiety attendant on cellar wintering, then they might do 

 well to invest a few cents in the " Notre Dame Device," put 

 it in one of their hives, and give it a trial. 



With this hive bee-keepers will have no need of bee- 

 cellars nor chaff' hives. Cheaply built sheds would be bet- 

 ter, and if properly built would save the trouble of moving 

 liives, and the business would be made more easy and pleas- 

 ant because much of the work could be done in the sheds or 

 houses on rainy da3s, as I have been accustomed to do for 

 several years. 



I have learnt by experience that to avoid the loss of 

 queens and other inconveniences to the bees, their houses 

 ought to be built octagonal in form, so that three hives 

 face to the northeast, three to the east, three to the south- 

 east, three to the south, etc., with a board about 2'/i feet wide 

 and about 3 feet high extending out from each corner so as 

 to make the division complete, and also to serve as a pro- 

 tection from winds. There ought to be a window to each 

 three hives set in on pivots, so as to open and close easily. 

 When looking thru a hive all windows should be closed, 

 and opened when thru — the bees will then get out imme- 

 diately. There is also room in this little house for surplus 

 supplies, and a little corner to do the frame and section 

 work. There are many advantages in this arrangement. It 

 might be more profitable to keep 48 colonies in four such 

 little houses in large hives (non-swarming) than to keep 100 

 small colonies in a yard in small hives. However, this is a 

 question better discust bj' persons of long and successful 

 experience — a subject on which I would like to read some 

 thoughtful articles. 



It is also important to have frames about five inches 

 wide inserted in the wall against which the porticos of the 



hives fit tightly, and so placed in the wall as to give about 

 two inches incline outward to the hives, so that the con- 

 denst moisture may run out readily. 



Let every one who reads this article do his own think- 

 ing, and act on St. Paul's advice, "Prove everything, and 

 hold fast to that which is good." 



Later. — Since writing the above report the following 

 is added, which maj' be of interest in connection with the 

 subject : 



On April 22 it was observed that the bees were working 

 very strong bringing in pollen and honey. It was evident 

 if they continued the}' would fill their hives of 16 frames in 

 three or four days. In order to prevent this it was thought 

 best to put on supers. Some of the strongest colonies were 

 that evening unpackt sufficientlj- to get supers on, contain- 

 ing 24 one-pound sections each. The supers were covered 

 with a cloth, an empty super put on, and the winter packing 

 returned. 



To-day, April 28. the packing was removed for inspec- 

 tion, and the first hive showed the eight outside sections all 

 filled ready for capping ; the others had some honey stored 

 in the supers. The fruit-trees will be in bloom the first 

 week in May. If the weather continues favorable we maj- 

 expect from 10 to 30 pounds of surplus honey per colony. 

 To what cause shall we attribute the flourishing condition 

 of our bees ? To the long and severe winter and poor 

 stores ? Or to the superior excellence of the Notre Dame 

 hive for comfortable wintering, and also to an early hohe}-- 

 flow from maples, poplars, and other early-blooming trees, 

 and to the fact that there was a sufficiently large force of 

 bees in each hive to bring it home ? 



May 6. — The apple-trees were in full bloom on May 3, 

 at which time we had rain and some cool weather, but the 

 bees did fairly well. The packing has been removed, and 

 some of the hives have been put on the scales, for the pur- 

 pose of approximating the amount of honev stored from the 

 middle of April till May 6. 



■ The first colony weighed 146 pounds ; this colony 

 weighed 80 pounds when put into winter quarters. A con- 

 siderable portion of this must have been con.sumed during 

 the time elapst since last October, especially in rearing so 

 much brood. This colony has 16 full-depth frames, and a 

 super of 24 one-pound sections nicely capt. It is evident 

 that this colony needs eight more full-depth frames so that 

 the queen may have more brood-room, and the workers 

 more space to store honey. It does seem early in the sea- 

 son to have colonies occupj-ing 24 frames with 24 finisht 

 sections, but such is the case. 



The next colony weighed was one formed by uniting 

 two nuclei last September. This colonj- tipt the scales at 

 104 pounds ; weight of the same hive last fall being 76 

 pounds. 



The next one was the little swarm that issued from a 

 glass observation hive about the first of last September, 

 which has been mentioned above. This colony weighed 72 

 pounds, and is in excellent condition. 



The last one weighed 148 pounds, the weight of which 

 was 76 pounds last fall ; 76 pounds less 35 pounds (the 

 weight of the hive) leaves the net weight of bees and 

 stores. It is quite possible that the greater part of their 

 stores had been consumed before April 15. 



St. Joseph Co., Ind. 



The Making' of Nuclei— Questions Answered. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLK. 



ON page 138, Dr. Miller is askt this question: "I in- 

 tend to increase my number of colonies the coming sea- 

 son by dividing. My plan of doing it is this: I have 

 14 old colonies, and want to increase them to 28 in all. So 

 I thought I would take 14 of my new hives in which I want 

 to hive the new swarms, and make a nucleus in each by 

 putting a frame of brood and eggs, and one of honey in 

 each hive, and then contract the inside of the hive with a 

 division-board so as to keep the bees which I intend to put 

 into the hive confined to the side of the two frames. How 

 many bees will I have to put into a hive? Will a pint do? 

 And will these bees rear a queen from the eggs given them ? 

 Do you think a nucleus formed in this way will be all right? 

 Would it be safe from robber bees ?" 



Now, as I intimated in a late article, I had expected to 

 take the good Doctor to task for the waj- he answered that 

 question, asking him a lot of questions regarding his an- 

 swers to it, so as to draw him out further, but upon a later 



