902 
WINTERING OUTDOORS 
or six %-inch holes, all of which, except 
one, are closed during the coldest part of 
the winter. Doth the Government experts 
in apiculture and Mr. Holtermann say that 
a hole is far Better than a slot for a winter 
entrance. Thru the latter the cold air can 
go in on one side and the hot air out of the 
other. A slot is the thing during late 
spring and summer, but all wrong, say 
these men, during winter. 
The author has met quite a number of 
others, notably B. F. Kindig, State bee in¬ 
spector of Michigan, who have been using 
these one-hole entrances during winter, and 
always, they say, with the most gratifying 
results. 
These restricted entrances should be used 
only where there is an ample amount of 
packing—not less than six inches—and 
where the bottom is packed with not less 
than four inches. The line drawing on the 
previous page shows the plan recommended 
by the Government experts. Two changes, 
however, are recommended. The first is, 
that provision should be made for more 
packing under the hives. To that end the 
cross-cleats secured to the bottom-board of 
the packing-case should be four inches wide 
instead of two inches. The hives are then 
placed upon the bottom-cleats as shown in 
Fig. 9, after which the side and end panels 
are put in place and held together with 
common wood screws. Some feel that one 
hole is not enough during the coldest part of 
the winter. This is a question that will have 
to be decided by each individual beekeeper, 
altho the author has seen some most excel¬ 
lent results where the one hole was used. 
Holtermann states that he does not think 
he would dare to close down to less than 
three, and he leaves his bees for six months 
at a time. As something will depend upon 
the locality and the man, the individual 
beekeeper will have to settle this for his 
own locality. 
The plan shown on previous page contem¬ 
plates double-story hives, four inches of 
packing under the hives, hives packed in 
close contact, back to back and side by side. 
A bridge connects the inner entrances to 
the outer entrances, after which planer 
shavings or dry forest leaves are poured in 
around the sides and on top. 
It is important that the covers to the 
cases be securely fastened doum. Winter 
winds will sometimes lift them off and blow 
the packing out, with the result that the 
colonies will be killed by the exposure. Cov¬ 
ers should be either wired down or held 
down by hooks and eyes. There should not 
be less than four stout hooks—one at each 
comer. 
WINTERING TWO-STORY LANGSTROTH HIVES 
IN QUADRUPLE CASES. 
The Government experts recommend 
wintering in two-story hives instead of 
single stories. There are some reasons for 
this. One reason, and the principal one, is 
to provide for stores and breeding room in 
the spring when the queen needs more room 
than the one story will supply. When two 
stories are used it is recommended to put 
the hive containing the brood-nest or bees 
beneath and the hive containing the stores 
on top. There should be not less than 
45 pounds of honey or syrup distributed in 
both stories. When the bees move upstairs, 
the main cluster or breeding room is at 
least ten inches distant from the entrance, 
and away from the cold. 
In the way of packing material, some 
will find planer shavings available, and 
others will use forest leaves. These lat¬ 
ter should be raked up as they fall, and 
should be thoroly dried. Usually one can 
get all he needs by going to his neighbors, 
and asking them to save their leaves instead 
of burning them on the pavement. The 
one trouble with planer shavings is the 
sawdust that litters everything up. In the 
spring, when one desires to look into his 
packed colonies, it is almost impossible to 
get at the brood-nests for examination to 
see what the bees are doing, without let¬ 
ting a quantity of sawdust or shavings get 
down between the frames. For that rea¬ 
son the author favors the use of forest 
leaves; but when leaves are used they must 
be well packed down, as they are not quite 
so dense as planer shavings. 
When the bees are unpacked in the 
spring, the hives are lifted out and the 
cases are carried to the outside of the 
apiary. The hives are then placed where 
the case was, and in the same relative posi¬ 
tion, but ten or twelve inches apart for con¬ 
venience in summer working. This posi¬ 
tion should not be changed; and when it is 
time to pack, the hives are moved to one 
