19 



REPORTS AND EXPERIENCES. 



The following are very brief extracts from a few of the many 

 letters that have reached the writer in regard to this subject. 

 Most of the persons quoted have had long experience in bee 

 keeping in Iowa. The different results may be accounted for, 

 in part, by the difference in locality. 



E. C. Wheeler, Marshalltown, Marshall County: In general any 

 place suitable for wintering potatoes is safe for bees. Outdoor win- 

 tering has been a failure with me. I winter with tops and bottoms 

 sealed fast and remove the colonies in spring when the soft maples 

 begin to bloom. Don't take the colonies out on wash day. 



Eugene Secor. Forest City, Winnebago County: Average consump- 

 tion of stores with me from November 15 to April 10 not more than 

 twelve pounds per colony which I consider cheap wintering. It is a 

 mistake to leave the bees out too long in fall or to take them out too 

 early in spring. Cellar wintering is uniformly successful with me. 

 Forty years in northern Iowa. 



T. W. Blaekman, Nevada. Story County: With bottom boards left 

 on the hive and one inch entrances covered with wire screen to keep 

 out mice we have very light winter losses, none at all last winter. 

 Cellar kept at forty degrees and find the bees quieter than at forty- 

 five. 



S. W. Snyder, Center Point, Linn County: Winter only in cellar 

 described elsewhere. Never lost a colony which went into the cellar 

 in normal condition. All covers and bottom boards are removed and 

 a row of hives placed on the bench sixteen inches above the floor. 

 About four inches of space is left between the hives. A muslin quilt 

 is spread over the tops completely covering the hives. Another row 

 is then placed on top of these with each hive over the space between 

 those underneath. This plan of alternate tiering is continued to the 

 top of the cellar or as high as necessary to accommodate all the bees. 



Frank Coverdale, Delmar, Clinton County: Damp cold cellars and 

 basement of barn both proved a failure. In dry cellar which does not 

 freeze losses did not average three percent for thirteen years. Find 

 lots of pure air necessary for best results. Losses have been ex- 

 tremely heavy in years when honeydew was left in the hives. 



J. L. Strong, Clarinda, Page County: Wintered in a pit many years 

 ago without loss, then again with sixty per cent loss and what was 

 left came out in bad condition. Cold cellar also proved a failure. 

 Have wintered thirty stands packed out of doors for thirty years 

 with an average of about ten per cent of loss. From fifty to one 

 hundred and twenty-five colonies have been wintered in the cellar 

 for the same period with about an equal per cent of loss, mostly from 

 failing queens. Greatly prefer the cellar as an average of eight pounds 

 of stores will carry a colony from November 15 to March 15 in the 

 cellar. ... .. 



C. H. True. Edgeivood, Clayton County: Cellar wintering has been 

 uniformly successful with an average loss of less than five per cent, for 

 ten years past. The causes of spring dwindling are mostly in Con- 

 trol of the bee keeper. Bees wintered outside consumed . one third 

 more stores and did not apparently build up any earlier. 



G. W. Nanee, Anthon, Woodbury County: Chaff hives have proved 

 disappointing. Bees have wintered in dry warm cave without ventila- 

 tion not to exceed ten per cent average loss fof twenty-four years, 



