238 WEALTH IN HONEY 



When you wish to open a hive of bees, arm yourself 

 with a smoker, cover your head with a veil, and step 

 boldly to the front of the hive ; send the smoke through 

 the opening for half a minute, then stop, and repeat the 

 operation after another half-minute, or until they make a 

 steady hum, which will show that they have given up the 

 desire to fight. Then open the hive, smoke gently, and 

 you may lift the combs, one after another. 



I do not like the plan of building a repository in the 

 side of a hill any better than I like a cellar under the 

 dwelling. With either plan there are bad results, and a 

 frame building, high and dry, is in every way preferable. 

 Outdoor wintering is not generally successful, but some 

 experts use chaff hives with sawdust cushions over the 

 top of the brood chamber. 



In case of outdoor wintering, it is well to have all hives 

 facing southward, so the sun can shine on the entrances 

 and keep them free from ice. After a heavy fall of snow, 

 always sweep in front of the hives, leaving the snow 

 banked around the other three sides, as it will do no 

 harm there, but will help to keep off the prevailing winds. 



Bees will take an occasional flight during warm days 

 in winter, and sometimes many are seen lying about dead 

 on the snow, but such are generally the old ones that are 

 easily chilled and fail to get back to their hives. Such 

 losses are not serious. 



With too small an entrance, in a damp climate, there 

 will be moldy combs, and more than the proper amount 

 of dead bees. The trouble becomes aggravated in the 

 course of the winter by the clogging of the entrance with 

 dead bees. Let the full entrance be given as in summer, 

 and see that the dead bees are cleaned from it every few 

 weeks. 



During heavy storms in winter, it frequently happens 

 that hives are entirely buried in snow. While the snow is 

 light and porous, air will penetrate it and reach the 



