CHAPTER X. 
WINTERING. 
Causes of Winter Mortality — Reducing Combs — 
Winter Passages — Candy Cake — Hill's Device — 
Hybernation Theory — Age of Bees — Most Favour- 
able Temperature — Action of the Stomach Mouth 
— Honey as a He at -forming Food — Necessary 
Renewal of Air in Hive — -Daily Loss in Weight — 
Bowel Distension — The Pollen Theory — Hive Walls 
— Wintering Weak Stocks — Experiments on Non- 
conductors of Heat — Cork-dust — Ventilation — 
Dampness : Causes of — Clearing Floor-boards — 
Snow-glare — Starved Bees. 
No care during the season of activity can com- 
pensate for neglect of the bees’ comfort and ne- 
cessities during the period of repose. A winter well 
passed has more to do with rapid building up in 
the spring, and so with all subsequent success, 
than the inexperienced can imagine. Setting on one 
side the misfortune of disease, or the accident of 
queenlessness, the fatalities which occur during 
winter may be put down, in nearly every instance^ 
to one of four causes : paucity of bees, insufficiency 
of food, want of proper protection, and errors in ven- 
tilation. The first two difficulties will not meet those 
2 I. 2 
