52 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



ily applied lubricant. The sheets may have a tendency to stick to 

 one of the rollers. To prevent rolling back, the edge must be start- 

 ed and to prevent tearing, a clamp should be used pulling on the sheet 

 across its whole width. The sheets may then be trimmed and be- 

 fore storing away should preferably have thin- tissue paper placed 

 between them to prevent sticking. 



It will be seen that where any number of colonies are kept, to 

 house the various implements and to store empty hives and surplus 

 combs, som* sort of a shop is desirable, and preferably a honey 

 room also, In storing away combs it is essential that they be plac- 

 ed where mice cannot get at them, as mice are very fond of honey. 

 Also proximity to ants is a nuisance. The greatest enemy to 

 combs are the larvae of the wax moth. There are two species of 

 moths which lay Jheir eggs about bee hives and combs. They are 

 of a dull gray color one a little larger than the other, and should 

 be destroyed when found about the hivres. The larvae feed upon the 

 wax and spin their cocoons out of wood fibre on the edge of frames 

 or in the crevices of the hives. Fortunately this pest is rarely if 

 ever found in this state, and precaution should be taken not to in- 

 troduce it with shipments of bees. Should combs become infested 

 or be liable of infection, they may be fumigated with bi-sulphide of 

 carbon. This may be done by tiering up the stories filled with 

 combs and then placing the chemical in a can in an empty story 

 at th'e top, when the fumes will settle down and destroy all the 

 larvae if there be any. After this the combs may be stored safely 

 away until spring when they should be put under the protection of 

 the bees as soon as possible. No fire should be used about bi-sul- 

 phide of carbon as it is very inflammable and mildly explosive. 



MODES OF WINTERING 



Since much that is to follow in regard to the spring and sum- 

 mer manipulation and management of bees, is based upon the as- 

 sumption of successful passage of the winter, we will hasten to dis- 

 cuss this one of the most important problems in our state, and 

 one which has received careful attention for several winters past in 

 the experimental work of the Station. The results presented in 

 these succeeding pages were obtained from or verified by experi- 

 ments conducted during the winters of 1901-02, 02-03, 03-04, and 



