POrTy years among The bees. 325 



the mortality continued well along in spring. The fact 

 that after so many years of experience, and after advising 

 others always to have abundant stores for winter, I 

 should have lost colonies by the score through starvation, 

 was humiliating indeed. 



But conditions were new and I needed to learn that 

 in a cellar with the thermometer generally ranging from 

 SO to 60, and sometimes going higher, bees consume 

 stores much more rapidly than at a lower temperature, 

 and to the increasing number of those who are putting 

 furnaces in cellars, I would say, ''Look out for starva- 

 tion." 



But along with the severe disadvantage mentioned, 

 there are not lacking advantages, so that I am not certain 

 whether I would rather go back to the cellar without the 

 furnace or not. Perhaps I ought to say advantage rather 

 than advantages, for the one great advantage is that of an 

 abundant supply of pure, fresh air. Except in the very 

 severest weather, the outside cellar door is more or less 

 open, and the air in the cellar is sweeter than in many — 

 perhaps most — living rooms. That's good for the people 

 living over the cellar, and it must be good for the bees. 

 Inside the hives the combs are just as dry and nice as in 

 simimer. No dampness, no mold, no musty smell. 



It seems nice toiook into a hive and find so few dead 

 bees lying on the bottom-board, often none. When a bee 

 wants to die, it is warm enough so it can come outside, 

 just as in summer. 



It would be better if it was so arranged that fresh 

 air could enter without the light. During the first part of 

 the winter, the bees do not seem to mind the light at all, 

 and not very much till toward spring, when the door must 

 be closed in daytime. But there is no need to be unduly 

 frightened by a few bees coming out ; for bees will get 

 old and die off, no matter how dark the cellar be kept : 

 and there may be some question whether a little light is 

 as bad as the fouler air when the cellar is closed. 



