1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



407 



big square can of houeyinto bricks: but even 

 if they did succeed, the bricks were too ir- 

 regular in size to pack well. Here is a pack- 

 age, apparently, that should fill a "long- felt 

 want;" and while it may be too late to con- 

 sider it this season the idea can be laid aside 

 for next winter. — Ed.] 



THE RELATION OF THE ENTRANCE OF 



THE HIVE TO THE WINTER 



CLUSTER OF BEES. 



A Possible and EVen Probable Solution of 

 the Problem. 



BY J. E. HAND. 



M>\ Editor: — Believing that a correct 

 knowledge of the forces that govern the po- 

 sition of the winter cluster of bees, as well 

 as the correct principles of ventilation, are 

 essential to the successful outdoor wintering 

 of bees, I will endeavor, in as few words as 

 possible, to explain why bees cluster over 

 and near the entrance in severe weather in 

 early winter. In attempting to explain the 

 relation of the hive entrance to the winter 

 cluster of bees, some of the writers of bee 

 literature have fallen into the very common 

 erx'or of taking the effect for the cause. For 

 instance, they find the cluster well forward, 

 and near the entrance, in early winter, and 

 hastily jump at the conclusion that the en- 

 trance is too small, which all looks very 

 plausible from a theoretical point of view, 

 and straightway the entrance is made larger, 

 and still the cluster remains in the same po- 

 sition, which seems to assure them that their 

 theory is correct, and they have .solved the 

 problem of correct ventilation in their minds. 

 The very nature of the honey-bee, as well as 

 a correct knowledge of the impulse that gov- 

 erns the acts of the bees, would tend to show 

 to the close observer of bee nature that they 

 were already suffering from an overdose of 

 ventilation, and were clustered over the en- 

 trance for the sole purpose of shutting off the 

 circulation of cold air and regulating the 

 temperature within the hive. Did you ever 

 attempt to drive the bees down out of an ex- 

 tracting-super after they had settled thei'e 

 for the winter by leaving the cover off from 

 the hive during a cold night .? If you have 

 you will know how vain is such an attempt, 

 for the bees will crowd into the spaces be- 

 tween the combs to shut the cold out and 

 laugh at your efforts and hold the fort in 

 spite of the cold; and this is very much the 

 way they will often do in case of a very 

 large enti'ance. Every act in the life of a 

 bee is directly in the interests of the welfare 

 of the colony. Individual comfort has no 

 part in the economy of the hive, and a bee 

 does not hesitate to sacrifice its life for the 

 welfare or defense of the community. This 

 whole matter can very easily be proven. For 

 instance, we find a colony of bees in the 

 early winter with an entrance |Xl2 inches. 

 We are pretty sure, before we open that 

 hive, that the cluster will be well forward, 

 and low down toward the entrance, and up- 



on examination we find that such is the cas ;, 

 so we say that the entrance is too large, and 

 we will immediately contract the entrance to 

 f X3 inches, and place a rim under the hive, 

 forming an air-chamber, and remove the 

 cover, spreading several thicknesses of heavy 

 quilts or old carpet over the brood-chamber, 

 letting them come well down over the sides 

 of the hive, and push down over the whole 

 a box that has previously been covered with 

 black roofing paper; and in less than 48 

 hours, or just as soon as it is warm enough 

 for the bees to move, the cluster will be found 

 in the warmest part of the hive, which is the 

 very top, snugly tucked up close to the quilt, 

 where they will remain contented and happy 

 during the rest of the winter, and where in 

 the sectional hive they will locate their brood- 

 nest in the spring. These are facts based 

 upon a careful study of the instincts of the 

 honey-bee, which any one may prove to his 

 entire satisfaction. Over-ventilation kills 

 more bees in outdoor wintering than any 

 other one thing except starvation, and the 

 fact that bees will survive the winter and 

 come out alive in the spring with an entrance 

 so large as to be entirely out of all propor- 

 tion to the needs of the colony, only proves 

 the wonderful powers of endurance of a 

 strong healthy colony of bees. With a suf- 

 ficient air-chamber under the hive, which 

 should always be provided, a one-inch auger- 

 hole will afford sufticient ventilation for the 

 strongest colony of bees when wintered out 

 of doors; and, when covered with wire 

 screen, to keep the mice out it is about the 

 safest kind of entrance for our northern 

 country. However, three one-inch holes 

 with a slide to regulate the ventilation ac- 

 cording to the weather would be an ideal 

 entrance for winter. 

 Birmingham, O. 



[Our correspondent is a keen and close ob- 

 server, and we are inclined to believe he has 

 suggested the cause of the bees clustering 

 over the entrance. We shall be glad to hear 

 from others on this point. 



His conclusion as to the right size of en- 

 trance is quite in harmony with our own ex- 

 perience and practice.— Ed.] 



DISTURBING COLONIES IN CELLARS. 



Is the Effect Really Injurious? Feeding 



H<Miey in the Cellar ; Does it Unduly 



Excite the Bees? 



BY T. F. BINGHAM. 



Reading Mr. Alexander's fascinating de- 

 scription of his winter cellar for bees, and 

 his particular emphasis on winter disturb- 

 ance, as given in Jan. 1st Gleanings, page 

 27, introduces the question anew. Are these 

 I'eliable data on which to pi'edicate the gen- 

 erally prevailing opinion that such disturb- 

 ance is detrimental to bees ? There are 

 many bee-keepers who have moved bees in 

 winter and put them in cellars. One gentle- 



