28 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1 



meet with us at our conventions, this win- 

 tering question was frequently brought up; 

 and it was the opinion of us all at that time 

 that, if a hive were made with double walls. 

 and well protected on the top so the bees 

 could keep the inside of their hive warm at 

 all times, then they would winter well in a 

 cellar at a temperature just above the freez- 

 ing-point. But if we used single-walled hives 

 Avith their bottom-boards removed, and on 

 top had only a piece of cloth over the bees, 

 then we must keep our cellars at from 45 to 

 48 degrees temperature, otherwise we might 

 expect to have our bees somewhat affected 

 with dysentery long ])efore spring; and I am 

 still of' the opinion that the construction of 

 the hives we use has much to do with the 

 necessary temperature of our bee-cellars. 

 Two very important requirements are perfect 

 quiet and total darkness. These we can have 

 much better in a cellar built in a side hill, 

 expressly for our bees, than we can possibly 

 have under our dwelling-houses. I think the 

 amount of honey that is saved where bees 

 are kept perfectly quiet will go a long way 

 in three or four years toward paying the ex- 

 pense of building a special cellar. 



Shortly after putting our bees away last 

 fall I noticed a small bunch had gathered on 

 top of one of the upper hives directly over 

 the cluster. There was only a piece of can- 

 vas between the cluster in the hive and this 

 little bunch on top. The canvas was well 

 coated with propolis on the under side, and 



was tight all around, and had no holes in it 

 so one bee could feed another, but still they 

 lived without any thing to eat until the 10th 

 of January, when 1 disturbed them so that 

 they scattered themselves over the hive, and 

 some crawled down and in at the bottom. 

 I think there were aliout 80 bees in this little 

 bunch, and I am sure they had nothing to 

 eat for nearly two months unless their honey- 

 sacs were full when they clustered on top. 

 I speak of this incident to show that, if our 

 bees can be kept at a proper temperature, 

 and perfectly quiet, and so dark that the 

 whole winter seems like one long night, it 

 requires but little honey to take them through 

 the time that they are confined in the cellar. 



Now in regard to giving them a mid-win- 

 ter flight, I am not at all in favor of it unless 

 they are suffering with the dysentery caused 

 either by improper food or too low a temper- 

 ature and bad ventilation. Several times I 

 have set some out for a midwinter flight on 

 a nice day, but usually lost about all that were 

 so treated. The principal trouble is that, 

 after they are returned to the cellar, they 

 never again quiet down and form a compact 

 cluster as they tlo if not disturlied. 



Last winter, about Fel). 1, we thought it best 

 to put mats on aijout 200 colonies that had 

 been left with the under covers on; and, al- 

 though we had the door covered with about 

 three inches of chaff', as we always do to pre- 

 vent any jar or noi&e when going into the 

 cellar, and we hamlled them as carefully as 



E. W. ALEXANDEK S BEE-C'ELLAH; RIGHT .'*I1)K. 



