778 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 5, 



VENTILATION. 



Ventilation is necessary both to control the temperature 

 and to maintain the purity of the air. The heat of the earth 

 is the main dependence for controlling the temperature of cel- 

 lars ; but with a collar fully stocked with bees, resource must 

 be had to ventilation. At no time, no matter how cold, can we 

 close all ventilation to our cellar without causing a dangerous 

 rise in temperature. Again, when we have a very warm spell 

 of weather we find it necessary to throw open all ventilators 

 at night, including doors, and partially close them in the morn- 

 ing. Sometimes the temperature does not fall much in the cel- 

 lar ; but we find the bees quieter in the morning in the pure 

 air. Sub-earth ventilation, if well put in, is useful at such 

 times; but with a cellar only partially stocked with bees it can 

 be dispensed with. 



Ventilation for maintaining the purity of the atmosphere 

 has been a disputed point ; but during the last few years it has 

 been so generally accepted l.y intelligent bee-keepers that but 

 few remain to dispute it. The necessity for such ventilation 

 was abundantly proven many years ago ; but so many had win- 

 tered successfully without any provision for change of air that 

 it was thought some mistake had been made by the claimants. 

 It is now generally admitted that the mistake was made by 

 those who did not admit the claim, in overlooking the factor of 

 natural ventilation, which, in many repositories, is abundant 

 for'the number of bees kept in them. By natural ventilation 

 is meant the change of air taking place through the crevices 

 and materials, such as wood, mortar, brick, and stone, of 

 which the building may be constructed. For fuller account of 

 natural and artificial ventilation, see American Bee Journal, 

 page 233, 1S7S. — P. H. Elwood. 



After the bees are all in the bee-house I leave the doors 

 and windows open, giving abundant ventilation and the full 

 light of day until the weather becomes quite cold. By this 

 means the temperature is kept well down, say below 40-'. I 

 prefer that the temperature should not be much above this un- 

 til there are pretty evident signs of brood-rearing toward 

 spring, which will be shown by increased activity of the bees. 



After brood-rearing has commenced it is very important 

 that the temperature be kept pretty well up, saying 50^ to 

 55-2. A low temperature at this time, if long contained, is al- 

 most certain to produce unfavorable results. It is at this time 

 that artificial heat plays an important part in regulating the 

 temperature of the bee-house, which is a factor in wintering 

 bees that I could not think of dispensing with ; in fact, it grows 

 in favor with me each year, and I would not think of construct- 

 ing a bee-house without arrangements for this purpose. I never 

 use artificial heat directly in the bee-room, but in a room ad- 

 joining. This makes the warming so gradual in the bee-rooms 

 that the changes of temperature are almost imperceptible to 

 the bees, and causes no disturbance. 



UNITING. 



There is no time when colonies may be united with so little 

 trouble as when set out of the bee-house in spring. It is un- 

 necessary to give any attention to the queens. I unite at this 

 time by placing one hive on top of another, using the best 

 combs on top, as the colony will eventually occupy the upper 

 story. I have had both queens continue laying in such united 

 colonies until swarming time. — H. R. Broadman. 



One of the things I have found out in recent years is, that 

 we must have plenty of young bees to begin winter confine- 

 ment with. From Dec. 1 to April 1 is five months. Bees, as 

 a rule, entirely stop breeding here by Oct. 1, and do not rear 

 much brood before May 1. This is seven months. I do not be- 

 lieve workers live much longer than this under the most favor- 

 able conditions. Bees hatched in August will be nine mouths 

 old to reach May 1. I have had the most positive proof in the 

 last two years that they can not be made to live so long by any 

 known skill or perfection of food or quarters. Some claim 

 that bees live very long when idle. I do not believe that men 

 or animals that follow nature's demands as to work, shorten 

 their lives thereby. I have observed that loafers do not live 

 longer than the industrious who lead a just and temperate life. 

 I expect to live an active life while I can walk, and I do not 

 expect to lessen the number of my days thereby. — B. Taylor. 



About Nov. 20, the bees are placed in, about 18 inches 

 from the ground. The back end of each hive stands three in- 

 ches higher than the front. I pry up the back ends and slip in 

 ?6'-inch bits of lath. I leave the cloth, covered with propolis. 

 flat on top of frames. I like it sealed down air tight. A chaff 

 cushion is placed on top of each hive. To keep the hives 



at the proper pitch, a piece of lath is laid across the 

 lower end of each hive on top of the cushion, before placing 

 the next hive on. The walks, to prevent crushing bees, are 

 made of boards, across which are nailed strips 'jsxi inch. 

 These strips are nailed one inch apart, with edges up. The 

 floor is natural earth, worked down hard and smooth. — S. T. 

 Pettit. 



It is very encouraging to note, as one reads over this series 

 of very interesting articles, that the " wintering problem" is 

 not such a serious one as it formerly was ; indeed, it may al- 

 most be said to be solved if we may judge from the unbroken 

 records of success of not alone the few who have given us their 

 views, but of the hundreds of bee-keepers all over our north 

 lands where winter's rigors hold full sway. 



Not all of the writers above follow exactly the same 

 methods : but it is significant that they agree on all important 

 essentials. 



These, primarily, seem to be — good bees of right age ; good 

 food, and suitable protection. As to food, granulated-sugar 

 syrup fed early enough to be well ripened seems to hold the 

 first place ; after that, good light honey. For protection all 

 are agreed that outdoor colonies should be packed in double- 

 walled hives, and that those indoors should be in a frost-proof 

 room, generally under ground, darkened, and capable of good 

 ventilation. It seems to be easier to control temperature in 

 the cellars than in the upground structures.- — EniTou Root. 



Carjadiat) Bccdon)^ 



Do Bees £Tcr Go to Sleep During; tiie Working 

 Sea§on i 



There have been many discussions on the question, " Do 

 bees hear ?" and I think it is now generally conceded that they 

 do. I never for a moment suspected that they were deaf, but 

 I have often wondered whether bees ever sleep duriug the 

 working season, and have nsver been able to satisfy myself 

 that they do. I have examined glass observation-hives at all 

 hours of the night, but always found their inmates busy and 

 active. That great naturalist, and eminent bee-keeper, Huber, 

 said that he observed frequent instances of bees placing their 

 heads in empty cells and remaining perfectly motionless for 

 from 15 to 20 minutes, in his opinion evidently asleep. Von 

 Berlepsch reports having repeatedly observed similar phenom- 

 ena, both with workers and queens — not with drones, but then 

 says he, what is the whole life of these but sleep? and he con- 

 siders there can exist on the point no doubt whatever. "The 

 more active the bees are," he remarks, "the more will they 

 sleep like every other creature." It is an old provtrb, " Catch 

 a weasel asleep ;" and I have never been able to catch a bee 

 asleep during the working season. 



Clipping Queens' Wings. 



In the October number of the Bee-Keepers' Review, Mr. 

 Hasty says : 



"The conductor of the Canadian department sails into 

 the habit of clipping queens' wings, on page 495. I'm quite 

 willing to ■ hold his bunnit' if he finds it at all warm on his 

 head. Says he regards a queen with the same sort of enthu- 

 siasm that he regards a beautiful woman, and could no more 

 look with pleasure on the former in a mutilated condition 

 than he could endure seeing the latter trying to be graceful 

 with an amputated arm. The argument about prospective 

 harm to the race of bees may not amount to much, perhaps ; 

 but my stumper is that the disgusting practice makes more 

 trouble than it saves." 



Toad§ in tlie Apiary. 



The American Agriculturist for Nov. 16, contains the fol- 

 lowing : 



"Toads a Nuisance in the Apiary. — One day last 

 summer I noticed a large, plump-looking toad sitting on the 

 alighting-board in front of one of my hives. Watching hirn a 

 few minutes, I saw him take in a bee, and within another 

 minute another one. To investigate the matter further, I 

 took Mr. Toad to the woodpile and cut his head off and pro- 



