102 PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING 



but it is so, and when I state that I know of an 

 apiary in which seventeen stocks out of twenty- 

 four met with this fate last winter, nothing fur- 

 ther need be said. 



Bees can be wintered much safer than many 

 other creatures on a farm if a few simple rules 

 be thoroughly understood and acted upon. In 

 the first place, they must have from twenty-five to 

 thirty-five pounds of good food; secondly, they 

 must be kept very warm in a good hive, from 

 which wet, draughts, and mice must be rigorously 

 excluded;, finally, the colonies must be strong in 

 bees and headed for preference by young queens, 

 although this last is not an item of the first im- 

 portance as regards wintering. 



Preparations for wintering should begin at the 

 end of August, when all colonies should be gone 

 through and the food-supply carefully gauged, 

 recollecting that a little over four square inches 

 of comb contains about one pound of food. Make 

 sure at the same time that there is a fertile 

 queen present. When all the colonies have been 

 examined proceed to give them any food that may, 

 be necessary to make up the requisite quantity, 

 for winter use. This should be given in what is 

 known as a rapid feeder, a drawing of which will 

 be found elsewhere. 



When feeding is over, place a split ball of 

 napthaline in each of the back corners of the 

 floor-board, and across the frame top bars lay 



