116 WINTERING BEES. 



it does not follow that a bee is proof against the 

 greatest possible degree of cold. When bees are 

 prepared for winter, as herein directed, they will, as 

 before stated, cluster compactly together. And as 

 the cold increases the cluster will contract, in ac- 

 cordance with the increasing of the cold, and con- 

 sequently no loss of bees occurs. 



Another great cause of loss in winter is improper 

 ventilation, or no ventilation at all. Every swarm 

 of bees throws oft" a considerable amount of moist- 

 ure from their bodies. In very cold weather, if the 

 hive is not properly ventilated, this moisture col- 

 lects on the combs at the sides and top of the hives, 

 in the foi'm of frost and ice. In moderate weather 

 this frost and ice melts, and runs down into the 

 hive, completely saturating the bees, and then, if a 

 sudden change to extremely cold weather takes 

 place, all are destroyed by freezing ; or if they 

 chance to survive the winter, the moisture causes 

 the combs to mould, the honey becomes sour, and 

 thin like water, rendering it unsuitable food for the 

 bee, and bringing on diseases — dysentery, bee 

 cholera, foul brood, etc., and in a short time the 

 bees are all destroyed. Thousands of good swarms 

 are lost every winter by improper management, 

 and from be^ng kept in hives not suitable for win- 

 tering. I give directions for wintering on m3'plan, 

 in Controllable Hives, and I feel confident, if direc- 

 tions are carefully followed, that many stocks will 

 be saved annually, which otherwise would have 

 perished. ' 



