160 BEEKEEPING 



and sometimes on the sides and back, and 

 allow the front to remain exposed. By 

 this system the moisture collected on the 

 front or sides of the hive, ran do"s\Ti the 

 walls and evaporated at the entrance. 

 This method, too, gave excellent results 

 for years and it is far preferable to no 

 packing at all. Many beekeepers will be 

 unable to go to the trouble and expense 

 of providing the elaborate packing cases 

 referred to above but it is within the easy 

 possibility of any one to pack a colony at 

 the top. The easiest way to do this is to 

 remove the cover of the hive, lay a piece 

 of burlap directly over the frames and on 

 it place an empty super. The super is 

 then filled with any material which will 

 conserve heat, such as shavings, wheat 

 chaff, cork dust or even leaves. What- 

 ever material is used must be dry. Wet 

 packing material does not insulate because 

 the air spaces in it are more or less filled 

 with water and heat can escape very 

 easily. Such wet material too will freeze 

 in solid mass and become still less useful. 



