WINTERING BEES. 
345 
would induce a good many bees to leave the hive, 
while the light was admitted, and which would be lost. 
It will be supposed generally that their long confine- 
ment makes them thus impatient to get nut ; but I 
have frequently returned stocks during a cold turn of 
weather after they had been out, and always found 
such equally as anxious to come out, as those which 
had been confined throughout the winter ; without 
the airings, I have kept them thus confined, for five 
months, without difficulty ! The important requisites 
are, sufficient warmth and perfect darkness. 
DOES NOT ANALOGY PROVE THAT BEES SHOULD BE KEPT 
WARM IN WINTER 1 
Opposition to this method of wintering will arise 
with those who have always thought that bees must 
be kept cold ; “ the colder the better.” I would sug- 
gest for their consideration the possibility of some 
analogy between bees and some of the warm-blooded 
animals — the horse, ox, and sheep, for instance, that 
require a constant supply of food, that they may 
generate as much caloric as is thrown off on the cold 
air. This seems to be regulated by the degree of 
cold, else why do they refuse the large quantity of 
tempting provender in the warm days of spring, and 
greedily devour it in the pelting storm? The fact is 
pretty well demonstrated, that the quantity of food 
needed for the same condition in spring, is much less 
when protected from the inclemency of the weather, 
than when exposed to the severe cold. The bee, un- 
like the wasp, when once penetrated with frost, is 
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