WEALTH IN HONEY 239 



entrances of the hives; but should the snow become 

 crusty or ice form at the front, the bees would be in 

 danger of suffocating. 



Some people are of the opinion that if we have a cold, 

 steady winter, in which the bees remain confined to their 

 hives for several months, there is less danger of winter 

 losses, because fewer of the bees wander away and get 

 lost. There would be a point in this, if it were not for 

 the danger of the overloading of their bowels with fetid 

 matter, which they cannot discharge in the hive without 

 greatly endangering the life or health of the colony. 



Diarrhoea is often brought about during the winter 

 season. It is no doubt caused by fermented or extremely 

 thin honey. It has been found that bees located near 

 cider mills or cane mills will contract the trouble from 

 feeding too much on the apple pomace or cane juice. 



Cold weather, dampness or a sudden change of tem- 

 perature has been known to bring on the disease. As 

 soon as the outbreak is noticed, the bees should be kept 

 as warm as possible, and the hive should be well wrapped. 

 During the cider season the pomace should be removed 

 and fed to the hogs, where the bees cannot partake of it. 



During the winter the bees are huddled close together 

 in a compact cluster, the interior of which is at a normal 

 temperature, while the space outside of it may be even 

 below freezing. 



As the season advances, and the weather gets warmer, 

 the cluster expands itself, brood rearing begins, and 

 honey is brought in, but all the work done is only inside 

 the cluster, as the temperature is too low outside of it 

 to admit of anything being done. 



At no time of the year does skillful treatment and care 

 of the bees yield a greater reward than during the spring 

 months. A great mistake is often made in taking the 

 bees out of winter quarters too early in the spring, as the 

 weather is unsettled at this time, and a cold snap of a 



