180 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTBALASIA 



honey are necessary for winter. The greatest demand is 

 not made during the winter months hut in early spring, 

 when hrood-rearing commences; it will then be consumed 

 in a truly rapid manner. It is during this latter period 

 that a shortage of stores affects the prosperity of the 

 colony to such an extent that the entire season is wasted 

 before a recovery is made. 



When a super of "ripe" honey is left on the hive 

 during autumn it is foolish to remove it to "winter" 

 with one storey. The bees will occupy the top of the super 

 as the warmest part of the hive, and when so placed 

 usually winter well. Many argue that one storey is more 

 easily kept warm. While this is indisputable, it should 

 be pointed out that bees, clustered in the top of the super, 

 have no necessity to keep the bottom storey warm. Heat 

 rises, and bees will invariably seek the warmest portion 

 of the hive. The entrance should be contracted to about 

 half that of summer; too small an opening results in 

 mouldy combs. In restricting the entrance, place the 

 block so that the opening is at one corner. This is 

 preferable to having it in the centre. Many apiarists 

 use a sheet of "ruberoid" under the corner as a quilt, 

 but this material condenses the moisture which then drips 

 down over the bees and combs with disastrous results. 



Mats, made of com sacking, are popular in some 

 localities, but if they should get damp during winter they 

 will, unless replaced with dry ones, exercise a very 

 detrimental influence on the health of the colony. The 

 amount of water that accumulates in a hive during a 

 winter's night will astonish the novice who will probably 

 think that the cover is at fault. This moisture is caused 

 by the condensation of the bees' breath on the underside 

 of the cold cover; if this is painted on the underside the 

 moisture drips down on to the floor, and when the sun 

 shines the inside of the hive is soon dried. This is 

 preferable to having the wood soak up the water and so 

 remain damp right through the winter. It is much better, 

 however, to have some material {e.g. newspaper) between 

 the bees and the cover that the insects can keep warm 



