CONSTRUCTIVE BEEKEEPING 43 



Small entrances are the primary cause of more dead bees 

 than anything else. Condensation takes place in a hive with a 

 small entrance for the same reason as given in outdoor winter- 

 ing; a change of hive temperature caused by some disturbance. 

 The botton board must be left off to eliminate this moisture trou- 

 ble. This gives an equal temperature to hive walls and hive air, 

 and makes condensation on the hive walls impossible. If a colony 

 of bees give off much moisture in respiration, and there is no 

 doubt that they give off some, it is easily diffused through this 

 air by means of the large opening at the bottom. 



JLet us remember that what we are trying to prevent is ex- 

 cess of moisture in the hive air, and that we control it by our 

 control of the temperature of the repository. Temperature and 

 its relation to moisture is the keystone to successful wintering. 



CONCLUSION 



• 



When we compare evaporation by the aid of ventilation wijth 

 that which takes place aided by condensation, and give this an 

 application of the laws of heat, with its three ways of commu- 

 nication; conduction, convection and radiation, the tension of 

 vapors ; and the stillness, dryness and density of the atmosphere, 

 our conclusion must be that condensation is so uniform in its 

 results, that it elimniates everything ascribed to locality, but the 

 number of flowers and the weather conditions that affect the 

 flight of bees and the flow of nectar. All other Conditions, by* 

 the aid of condensation, can be controled by the beekeeper. 



Ventilation and shade each make more room in the hive, but 

 not with uniformity under all conditions; So we must add to the 

 treatments we give the bees, a well varnished inner surface to 

 the hive, and a cover that, at no time, permits of upward ventila- 

 tion. Then the bees will be able to keep the nectar out of the 

 way of a queen, whose egg-laying capacity is increasing daily. 



Room, and the procedure whereby the bees automatically 

 make more room as they need it, is the single thing that we have 

 to consider in urge prevention. 



