302 WINTEEING BEES. 



in my experience. Out of a large number containing 

 bees through the summer, not one has ever been injured 

 in this way. However, I think it better economy to 

 change the combs, bees, etc., to the wood hive for the 

 summer, and back again in December. A straw hive will 

 decay faster during use in summer, than iu winter. Also 

 it will receive a coating of propolis during July and 

 August, that will render it less efficient in ridding it- 

 self of moisture. I say less efficient, because it is better 

 than wood, at any rate.* 



The top must certainly be removed to give place to the 

 surplus boxes, and should be kept in the best possible 

 condition for receiving the moisture, when used again the 

 following winter. The top is much more important than 

 the sides, and if the latter should become impervious to 

 moisture and air, the bees would be warm enough to 

 enable the top to absorb all the moisture before it would 

 freeze. The operation of transferring from wood to straw 

 hives may be performed at any tune from October to 

 January. The first cold snap in December is a suitable 

 time. 



Take the bees to a somewhat darkened room to prevent 

 them from flying. Let the combs occupy the same re- 

 lative position in the straw hive as in the other. Each 

 comb, when lifted out, should have made in it a passage 

 for the bees, three-fourths of an inch in diameter. It can 

 be made iii a moment with a knife, and is often important 

 as a means by which the bees can pass from one comb to 

 another, when in need of honey, and also to allow the 

 queen to pass to difierent combs to deposit eggs, when 

 the weather is not mild enough to permit her to go around 

 the edges. 



* Propolis can be removed from a hive if desired, by scalding, or crumbling, 

 by striliing or rubbing wlien very cold. Transferring the bees to some other 

 hive jv ennwhile. 



