WINTERINO. 205 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

 WINTERING. 



375. Successful Wintering — So much depends upon the 

 successful wintering of bees, some general advice may, per- 

 haps, be usefully given here. The main points to be attended 

 to are — (i) To winter only strong stocks. (2) To provide a 

 sufficient quantity of wholesome food. (3) To keep the bees 

 as quiet as possible. (4) To supply sufficient ventilation. 

 (5) To avoid damp, and the ill-effects of storms. 



376. Winter only Strong Stocks — Small stocks of bees con- 

 sume more food, proportionally, than do strong stocks, and are 

 seldom profitable in the following year. Frequently such 

 stocks die out altogether before the spring opens, from in- 

 ability to keep up the necessary heat of their cluster, and from 

 excessive consumption of food, leading to dysentery (328). 

 Stocks that do not cover at least six frames in the middle of 

 September, should be either strengthened by the addition of 

 healthy, driven bees (250), or should be united to each other, 

 or to stronger stocks. 



377. Provide a Sufficient Quantity of Wholesome Food This 



has been dealt with under the heading of "Feeding" (315). 

 The bees cluster on the empty parts of the combs, just below 

 the honey, the head of each bee under the abdomen of the bee 

 above her ; and the food is passed down from one to another 

 until, during a warm hour on some sunny day, the lower bees 

 find opportunity to move up to the food. As the bees on the 

 outside of the mass become chilled, they pass into the warmth 

 of the cluster. But, when the food in the immediate vicinity 

 of the cluster is consumed, the bees, in very cold weather, are 

 unable to move to distant combs, and will often starve to death 

 in the midst of plenty. Therefore, the food required should be 

 given rapidly, towards the middle of September, and the combs 

 with sealed food should be moved to the centre of the hive 

 where the clustering bees may have access to them. Candy, 

 if given, should be placed right over the cluster ; and, when 

 candy is not supplied there, " winter passages " should be 

 provided, to permit the bees to pass from comb to comb without 

 having to go under or around the frames in cold weather, when 

 many of them would become chilled, and the remainder, refusing 



