WINTERING. 345 



the same manner that a pitcher of cold water condenses the 

 moisture of the air in a warm room. In some Winters, we 

 have seen unsealed honey gather so much of the moisture that 

 it overflowed, and ran out of the cells to the bottom-board. 

 Luckily the bees usually consume this honey first, before Win- 

 ter begins. 



629. To avoid the accidents caused by poor honey, some 

 Apiarists have suggested that all the honey might be extracted 

 every Fall, and sugar-syrup fed in its place. At the first 

 glance, this course seems profitable, when the difference be- 

 tween the price of comb-honey and the cost of sugar-syrup 

 is considered, but when we take into account .the trouble of 



"feeding, and the poor results obtained in wintering the bees, 

 we see much labor for a small profit. Having ascertained 

 that bees winter better on Spring or light-colored honey, we 

 no longer extract from the brood-chamber, avoiding the annoy- 

 ance and the extra labor of feeding. Our experience has con- 

 vinced us that, unless the Spring crop has failed, or the food 

 is decidedly bad, such as unripe honey (349), or honey-dew 

 (355), or fruit-juice (877), it is cheaper to winter bees on 

 natural stores. When sugar-syrup is needed, none but the best 

 sugar should be used. (616.) 



630. All empty combs, whether brood-combs or surplus- 

 combs, should be removed from the hive previous to cold 

 weather, as the bees, which may cluster in them, would starve 

 at the first cold spell without being able to join the cluster. 

 We have seen a whole colony perish, during a cold fortnight 

 in December, because they had occupied an extracting story 

 (which had but little honey in it, and had been left on by 

 neglect), although there was plenty of honey in the hive, a 

 few inches below them. The space left empty by the re- 

 moval of the combs should be filled with a warm material 

 placed between the side of the hive and the division board. 



631. As some bees which cluster on the outside combs 

 are often unable to join the others in cold weather, it would 

 be well to have holes, or Winter passages, through the combs. 



