30 WINTERING BEES 



day time — to let in air, and closed just before daylight. If 

 it becomes too cold, so the temperature goes down below 40, 

 or near freezing, artificial heat must be used. To that end 

 a small stove connected with a chimney may be used to ad- 

 vantage. Build just enough Are to raise the temperature to 

 45 or a little more. As a general thing it will not be nec- 

 essary to have a stove; for enough bees in the cellar will 

 keep up the temperature by their own body heat. If a 

 repository during the winter can not be kept cool enough 

 by opening the windows at night, and closing them in the 

 morning, it goes to show very plainly that the beekeeper 

 should adopt outdoor wintering, as his climate is not 

 cold enough to keep a cool cellar. A cellar that has a ten- 

 dency to be too warm most of the time is a very poor place 

 in which to winter bees. But one where the temperature 

 can be kept uniformly at 45, not varying more than two or 

 three degrees through the day, will not require so much 

 ventilation as when the range is greater. Such a cellar must 

 be mainly under ground, and should Ijave double doors to 

 shut out frost, as well as double windows, if any. A uni- 

 form temperature of 50, with plenty of ventilation to the 

 cellar, will give equally good if not better results. 



It is important that the cellar be kept dark at all times; 

 and by dark we mean absolutely so, without any light pene- 

 trating anywhere. 



It is important, also, that the cellar be reasonably dry, 

 although bees have wintered fairly well in damp cellars. If 

 it is damp, the bottom muddy, and the temperature down 

 much below 45, the effect on bees will not be satisfactory. 



VENTILATION. 



The question of air change depends almost entirely on 

 the temperature of the cellar and its control. If the mer- 

 cury can be kept uniformly at 45 throughout the entire win- 

 ter with not more than two or three degrees variation it may 

 be said that very little ventilation of the cellar will be need-, 

 ed; but if it has a tendency to go to 50 or more, then down," 

 and especially if the bees begin to roar, showing uneasiness. 



