Bee Keeping - Wintering

It is well known that to winter bees successfully is the most difficult part of bee-keeping, and this one thing may be put down as an axiom: Extremes of heat or cold are detrimental to bees. If the temperature becomes extremely low, the bees take more food to keep up the animal heat; they become uneasy and throw off much moisture which may condense and freeze around the the cluster encasing them in a solid wall of ice, thus preventing them reaching the honey, and they actually starve with plenty of honey in the hive. The remark is often made in the spring by those that had a few colonies and lost them in the winter. "My bees all died with lots of honey in the hive; I wonder what was the reason?"

If the temperature becomes too high they will also become restless and eat more than is for their good, become diseased, foul their combs and hive, and die with plenty of honey in the combs.

CELLAR WINTERING.

It will readily be seen that it is desirable to avoid either of these extremes, heat and cold. To do this, as soon as there is settled cold weather, which in this locality is usually about the middle of November, place the bees in a dark, quiet cellar that will keep vegetables well, and maintain an even temperature of about 45°. Of course the bees should have plenty of honey to eat, and 25 lbs. will be none too much to last them till they can gather a supply in the spring. To prepare them for the cellar remove everything above the frames and put three or four sticks, 1/2 inch square, and nearly as long as the hive is wide inside, crosswise on the frames, and put on a new honey guilt. This will give the needed ventilation, retain the heat, and give the bees a chance to move over the tops of, the frames. This should be done before cold weather, so when it is time to put the bees in winter quarters all it will be necessary to do will be to remove the cap and carefully place the colony in the cellar.

OUTDOOR WINTERING.

If the bees are to be wintered out doors 35 lbs. of honey will be none too much for each colony. A new quilt and sticks should take the place of the old quilt the same as for cellar wintering. Corn fodder or straw may be placed about each hive to aid in keeping off the cold, but the entrance should be left partially open and shaded from the sun.

A better method of outdoor protection is to take a box without top or bottom and 8 or 10 inches larger each way than the outside of the hive and as high as may be needed. Place this box over the hive and fix the entrance so that the bees can get out and in, and fill the space between the box and hive with chaff, cut straw or dry leaves, well pressed down, and cover the top of the hive in the same way, and finish by covering the box with a flat, or slanting, roof that is water tight.

The best outdoor wintering arrangement I have ever seen is that used by H. D. Cutting, of Clinton, Mich., now and for several years past, Secretary of the Michigan State Bee-keepers' Association. It is simple, cheap and durable. I don't know that he ever made one to sell. It is very easily made and can be taken apart and put away (in the fiat) in a moment and will last for years. It is made of lumber 3/8 or 1/2 inch thick, dressed on one or both sides, or It need not be dressed at all. Cut it so it will be 8 or 10 inches longer than the hive for the sides, and 8 or 10 inches longer than the hive is wide for the ends. For each hive make 8 pieces, or cleats, about 1 inch square and about 4 inches longer than the hive, is high, unless the cover is high

To make the sides place I of the inch square pieces 1/2 an inch from the-end of the board cut for the sides, if 1/2 inch stuff is used, or 2/3 of an inch if stuff is used, and nail fast; making as wide as the cleats are long, and put another cleat at the other end in the same way. For the end pieces place the cleats 1 inch from the ends of the boards that have been cut for the ends; make as many of these as may be needed. The sides and ends may be fastened at the corners with two hooks at each corner, or screws may be used if more convenient. The cover may be made like a house roof, or in any way that may suit ones fancy or convenience, always making sure that it is water tight. Set. the hive to be prepared for winter on a board that is as wide as the inside of the. above described box, and some longer than its length so as to furnish an alighting place for the bees. Fix an entrance for the bees and place the box in position, and pack as already directed. The ends of the cleats will stand on the the edges of the bottom board so that rains will not wet the packing.

Whatever method of protection is adopted, whether it be corn fodder, straw, or packing in a box, it should not be removed till settled warm weather in the spring.

MY METHOD OF WINTERING.

As soon as possible after the frost has killed the flowers so that the bees, can gather little or no bee-bread, I examine each colony and select" such combs as have little or no bee-bread in them, and place as many in one side of the hive as the bees may need to cluster on, and put in a division board. If there is not honey enough in the selected combs for the bees to winter on, I uncap the honey in some or all of the others, and place them on the other side of the, division board so the bees will carry it over into the combs they are to winter on. If there is still a lack of winter stores, I feed more honey or syrup made of either granulated, or coffee A sugar. Don't feed poor sugar if you wish to save the bees.

The empty or extra combs are put away to be used again in the spring. At this time put on the sticks and new honey quilt as before directed, and when it becomes settled cold weather, place all in the cellar.

The object in taking away the bee-bread is to prevent the loss of bees from diarrhea. I have wintered in this way with perfect success for the last seven winters, not losing a colony from disease.

During cold weather all the bees need to eat is food which will produce heat, and that is furnished by the honey or sugar syrup, which, when pure, is fully digested, leaving nothing to be discharged as feces, consequently there can be no diarrhea, unless it be induced by extremes of heat or cold.

I believe that colonies wintered in the cellar are more apt to become weak from the loss of bees in the spring than those that are wintered outdoors if properly protected; but those wintered in the cellar consume much less honey.

The same protection may be given them when they are brought from the cellar in the spring, as has been recommended for outdoor wintering, and will, largely, if not wholly prevent spring dwindling.

Whatever method of wintering may be adopted, the secret of 'doing it successfully is, to keep the bees in an even temperature, and with little, or no nitrogenous food. Pollen, called also bee-bread, is nitrogenous food.

If the bees are wintered in the cellar, place them on their summer stands as early in the spring as they can gather pollen from willow and soft maple blossoms. If convenient place each hive where it stood the previous season.

With the division board keep the bees crowded on as few combs as they may choose to occupy, moving it and giving new combs from those removed when preparing for winter, as often as they may need them.