THOUSAND ANSWERS 269 



from honeydew. It will be all right to use these hives without 

 removing the honey. Even if it should be honeydew, the bees can 

 stand that all right when flying daily. 



Wintering in a Building With Entrances Arranged for Flight.— 



Q. I have my bees in the attic, facing east, and it is so arranged 

 that the temperature can be controlled during the winter months. 

 During the most severe weather the past winter it has not been 

 below 32 degrees, and never above 40 unless the weather out of 

 doors was warm enough for them to have a flight. What would 

 be the best temperature and cause them to consume the least 

 amount of stores, with the hive-entrances open to the weather at 

 all times as they are now? 



A. About SO degrees, but there is a good deal of variation in 

 thermometers. 



Wintering in Cellar. — Q. How many cubic feet per colony is 

 required in cellar wintering? I am thinking of putting the bees 

 indoors. 



A. Something like ten, including passage way. 



Q. In cellar-wintering, must it be dark in the cellar? 



A. Y"es, unless the bees keep perfectly quiet in the light. 

 When first put in the cellar they don't seem to mind the light 

 much, but do a great deal toward spring. 



Q. In wintering bees in the cellar, do you leave the bottom- 

 board off the hive for ventilation? 



A. My bottom-boards are left on; but that still leaves abund- 

 ant ventilation, for the space under bottom-boards is two inches, 

 and the entrance is two inches, deep and the whole width of the 

 hive. If I had entrances not more than half an inch deep, I 

 should want the hives blocked up or the bottom-boards taken 

 away entirely. 



Q. Do you put on anything to keep out the rats and mice, if 

 such enemies should come along, or will the bees take care of 

 their combs and honey in such a case themselves? 1 think Prof. 

 Cook says that he leaves the bottom-board on and the entrance 

 wide open. 



A. I have done both ways. You may be sure the bees will not 

 take care of themselves; rats and mice will make bad work if 

 allowed undisputed possession. If you leave the hive-entrances 

 open, in most cellars, you must keep up an unceasing warfare 

 against rodents with traps and poison. You can bid defiance to 

 the nuisances, however, by having the entrances closed with very 

 coarse wire-cloth — three meshes to the inch. Even then you 



