VENTILATION 
861 
the second super is shoved forward on the 
lower one—just enough to leave a crack, 
front and rear. If that is not enough, the 
third super is staggered back so as to be in 
a vertical line over the bottom super; and 
in rare cases it may be necessary to go even 
further by tipping the cover up in addi¬ 
tion. It is much better to provide ventila¬ 
tion in this way for extremely hot weather 
than to bore holes in the sides or ends of 
the hives or supers. The amount of venti¬ 
lation that may be required thru the top of 
the hive by staggering the supers back and 
forth will depend on how hot the weather 
may be at the time, and whether the hive 
in question is shielded from the sun. So 
long as the bees cluster out in front, it is 
an indication that there is lack of ventila¬ 
tion. Sometimes a great cluster of bees 
will be clear over a large entrance, practic¬ 
ally closing it up except what little air can 
filter thru the mass of bees. In cases like 
this, it is advisable to lift the hive up on 
four blocks as shown under the subject of 
Swarming, subhead, “Providing Abundant 
Ventilation.” If this does not draw the 
bees into the hive, additional ventilation 
should be given at the top of the super 
or supers, in the manner already explained. 
But one should be careful not to overdo 
this, because comb-building cannot progress 
very satisfactorily in supers when chilling 
blasts go back down over the bees, and this 
is liable to occur at night, even after a hot 
day. 
Under Swarming it has been shown 
that ventilation and swarming often stand 
in the ratio to each other of cause and 
effect; that is to say, not enough ventila¬ 
tion overheats the brood, causes the bees to 
cluster in front, induces loafing, cell-build¬ 
ing, and finally swarming. Time and time 
again this loafing on the part' of a big 
bunch of bees in front has been stopped 
by providing ventilation. When a colony 
in the height of the season can earn at 
least from five to ten dollars, it is folly to 
compel the poor bees to loaf and cut down 
their earning capacity simply because of a 
lack of means to keep their hive cool 
enough so that they can go inside and go to 
work. 
VENTILATION DURING THE WINTER. 
Under Wintering, also under En¬ 
trances, it is explained that bees out¬ 
doors on their summer stands do not re¬ 
quire nearly the amount of ventilation that 
is needed during the summer. Yet even in 
cold weather a strong colony should have a 
larger entrance than a weak one. See En¬ 
trances to Hives. 
When bees are wintered in a cellar it is 
highly important that the atmosphere be 
dry, and that there be means provided for 
supplying fresh air in the room where the 
bees are kept. Insufficient ventilation 
causes uneasiness; uneasiness induces over¬ 
eating, and overeating brings on dysentery. 
(See Dysentery.) It is important that the 
cellar has plenty of ventilation during the 
entire period of confinement, and more air 
toward spring than late in the fall. 
Authorities disagree somewhat as to the 
size of entrance that bees require while in 
the cellar; but the author’s experience in¬ 
dicates that the same size that is used dur¬ 
ing moderate summer weather is better 
than a large one. It will depend somewhat 
on the size of the colony. See Wintering 
in Cellars. 
In severely cold weather it is highly im¬ 
portant to see that the entrances of the 
hives outdoors are not closed up with wet 
snow nor ice. A dry snow does no harm. 
A closed entrance closed tightly is almost 
sure to be fatal to the colony sooner or 
later if there is no upward ventilation. It 
sometimes happens that dead bees clog 
up the entrance, and the colony dies sim¬ 
ply because a few of its dead shut off its 
means of ventilation. 
smothering bees by closing the 
ENTRANCE. 
Altho bees manage to get along with 
even a very small entrance, one should be 
on the guard against closing it entirely, 
in warm weather, even for only a few 
minutes. Many are the reports the author 
has received almost every season, of bees 
destroyed by simply closing their entrance 
while undertaking to stop swarming for a 
few minutes, until some other colony can 
receive attention. See Swarming and En¬ 
trances. 
When bees have the swarming fever they 
are gorged with honey and in a feverish 
state. They are like a man who has been 
taking violent exercise after a hearty meal, 
