12 FAEMEES' BULLETIN 975. 



himself whether his colonies are actually in as good condition at the 

 opening of the year as he has supposed and that he find out how 

 strong the colonies may be made by providing the best of conditions 

 for the development of the colony population. A beekeeper whose 

 colonies do not measure up to this standard should not condemn the 

 standard until he assures himself that it is entirely impossible, under 

 his conditions, to reach it. 



Obviously the proper wintering of bees becomes a matter of the 

 highest importance in regions where European foulbrood is found. 

 Those who fail to practice good wintering are the ones who first 

 lose so many colonies that they become discouraged and give up bee- 

 keeping, while those whose wintering has been better are able to 

 treat the disease although their standard of colony strength may not 

 be high enough entirely to ward it off. 



As was pointed out earlier, the first brood of the year usually 

 escapes with little loss. If proper conditions are provided for winter, 

 either in the cellar or outdoors, brood-rearing is delayed, whereas in 

 poor wintering brood-rearing may begin during the coldest period 

 of the winter.^ If then brood-rearing is delayed by protection, it 

 will begin as a reaction to incoming nectar and pollen. The vitality 

 of the bees has not been destroyed by unseasonable brood-rearing 

 and the colony can rear large quantities of brood from the very 

 beginning. This can, of course, occur only when the colony has 

 proper spring protection. The earliest brood will emerge without 

 appreciable loss from disease, the colony is increased in strength at 

 once, and its capacity for brood-rearing is great. Provided the stock 

 is resistant, the colony is then able to ward off the disease. To 

 bring about all the proper conditions with the least labor on the part 

 of the beekeeper and the least waste of effort on the part of the bees, 

 it is desirable to winter outdoor colonies in two hive-bodies, which 

 has been recommended by this department for other reasons also. 

 Good beekeeping, in so far as handling the bees is concerned, con- 

 sists of providing conditions in the fall so that the colony is full of 

 young, vigorous bees for winter; of providing conditions of protec- 

 tion and good stores such that the bees are not depleted in numbers 

 and vitality during the winter by excessive heat-production ; of pro- 

 viding plenty of stores, adequate room for breeding, and abundant 

 protection during the period of heavy brood-rearing in spring; and 

 of preventing reduction in the strength of the colony by swarming. 

 All of these things, and there are no others of importance, pertain 

 to keeping colonies strong. The beekeeper who provides conditions 

 such that the bees can keep up their own strength will not only reap 

 the honey-crop but he will escape the ravages of European foulbrood. 

 To a large degree the failure of American beekeepers to get their 

 colonies strong enough is due to the use of small hives that are in- 



> The explanation is given in the publications of the Bureau of Entomology on wintering. 



