Wintering Bees. 293 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



WINTERING BEES. 



This is a subject, of course, of paramount importance to 

 the apiarist of the Northern States, as this is the rock on which 

 some of even the most successful have recently split. Yet I 

 come fearlessly to consider this question, as from all the mul- 

 titude of disasters I see no occasion for discouragement. If 

 the problem of successful wintering has not been solved al- 

 ready, it surely will be, and that speedUy. So important an 

 interest was never yet vanquished by misfortune, and there is 

 no reason to think that history is now going to be reversed. 

 Of course this chapter has no practical value to the apiarists 

 of the South and Pacific Coast. There safe wintering is as- 

 sured, except as the careless bee-keeper permits starvation. 



THE CAUSES OF DISASTROUS WINTERING. 



I fully believe, and to no branch of this subject have I giv- 

 en more thought, study, and observation, that all the losses 

 may be traced to either unwholesome food, failure in late 

 breeding of the previofls year, extremes of temperature, or 

 protracted cold with excessive dampness. I know from actual 

 and wide-spread observation, that the severe loss of 1870 and 

 1871 was attended in this part of Michigan with unsuitable 

 honey in the hive. The previous autumn was unprecedent- 

 edly dry. Flowers were rare, and storing was largely from 

 insect secretion, and consequently the stores were unwhole- 

 some. I tasted of honey from many hives only to find it nau- 

 seating. 



Again, suppose that after the basswood season in July, 

 there is no storing of honey,, either from want of space, or 

 from lack of bloom ; in this case brood-rearing ceases, yet 

 if the weather is dry and warm, as of course it will be in 

 August and September, the bees continue to wander about, 

 and death comes apace, and by autumn the bees are reduced in 

 numbers, old in days, and illy prepared to brave the winter 

 and perform the duties of spring. I fully believe that if all 

 the colonies of our State and country had been kept breeding 

 by proper use of the extractor and feeding, even till into 



