J2 I'AEMEEB' BTTLLE'HK 1012. 



safe procedure, it is necessary to provide more packing than would 

 b© necessary if the colony were provided with only enough room for 

 the cluster and winter stores during the winter. It has been found 

 desirable also to leave more stores with the bees than have been left 

 by many beekeepers, and this is additional reason for the giving of 

 more room during the winter. 



It is recommended, therefore, that in all parts of the United States 

 colonies of full strength be wintered in two hive-bodies of 10-frame 

 Langstroth size. They should, of course, be provided with abundant 

 protection and the entrances should be reduced 



SPACE ABOVE THE FRAMES. 



Formerly it was commonly recommended that corn cobs, or other 

 objects designed for the purpose, be placed above the top bars of the 

 frames, and then that quilts be placed over these. The purpose of 

 these objects was to lift the quilts so that the bees could pass over the 

 tops of the frames. In former years it was advised that holes be 

 bored through the combs to permit passage from one space to the 

 other. Of late years these things have been abandoned, to a large 

 degree, for it is known now that if bees are packed as they should 

 be they may pass easily at all times to any part of the hive as need 

 arises. It is often stated that bees die of starvation in the hives when 

 there is abundant honey not many inches away from the cluster. 

 This, of course, never happens in colonies that are well packed. In 

 colonies that are adequately protected there is no better plan than 

 simply to leave the regular wooden cover in place and sealed down by 

 the bees. Quilts directly over the frames are a nuisance at any time, 

 and during the winter they are of no value for upward ventilation 

 in well packed colonies and should be used only as a poor makeshift 

 for good packing. 



UPWARD VENTILATION. 



A common practice has been to remove the hive cover when the 

 bees are packed for winter and to cover the frames with burlap or 

 some such porous material, the object being to allow the escape of 

 any moisture which may be generated within the hive during the 

 winter. Moisture is being generated constantly as the bees consume 

 the honey stores, but if the bees are adequately packed the amount 

 of moisture will be reduced to the minimum. The chief danger, of 

 course, is from moisture which condenses, and in an adequately 

 packed hive there is no condensation. The temperature never goes 

 low enough for water vapor to condense. Therefore it is obvious that 

 upward ventilation for the escape of moisture is never needed in 

 hives that are packed as they should be. Any beekeeper who has had 

 trouble in the past with condensed moisture in the hives, or with wet 



