Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-11-13
WInteriRs Ress.

HOW to winter bees stlcccs stully ia
the question Of Interest above all others
| at this time. Thousands whose bee.
have done well tins SIMMER. both in
surplus honey and increase. arc wai,. i.
| ing with anxiOns hearts to know il
ncxi spring will find their bees all
| dead, as has been the case so olten.---
We are sure that where there is no
disease IL is an easy thing 10 inter
bees without the loss Of one colony. -
We speak what we know in this matter.
We do not dispute the testimony Of
those who say bees have died of dis.
case, we know it's 50 IN some paris of
the country, but ia other places tic
loss was caused By the simplest natur.
al causes and what is called dysentcry
was only the natural ineal matter bees
will alway discharge when cold or l,u-
duly disturbed during cold weather.
About September Isl. VIC were asked
to examine twenty one colonies of bees
which q friend had bought. We found
every hive filled with sealed honey in
every frame, not a single cell Of brood
in any stage, nor any place to put any !,
the yield OF honey from teld Of buck
wheat near had been great, aud the
bees in their cargcrncss had filled up
to the exclusion of brood. Had these
hives been left in that condition. the
bees they contained would have died
a natural death by winter, aud no
young ones living there 10 supply their
places at the approach of cold the clus-
ter would have TO be too small! for
warmth, and would have miserably
perished. A large cluster viii! eat
away the honey in the center, and
make a comfortable space for them
selves. We are sure there would have
been dyscatary in all these hives had
they not been helped. We extracted
honey from them ALT, and in short
time breeding had commenced, and
they will go into winter with young
bees and room for them TO be comfort
able.
Where there Is no disease we suy il
is easy to winter bees. Give them
plenty of honey, but not too much,
empty space to cluster IN, and keep
them dry as we'll as warm. For us o.
dry cellar is the best place, others fiud
room above ground as good. In either
place they must have empty comb near
the center; secure that in any hive by
taking out full frames and substituting
empty ones, or extracting honey from
q center comb. Be sure there is room
between the bottom Of combs and the
honey board. Put bee quilt, piece
Of old quilt, blanket or carpet, over
the tops of the frames, removing ail
honey boards: do this al once, but
but leave the bees on their summer
stands until near the last of November,
then Just after some day when the bees
have taken good fight, remove them
to the cellar or house, leave them in
perfect darkness and undisturbcd till
spring. Allow at least twenty pounds
of honey to hive wintered in the cell
lar, weighing first of November. and
much more if left out of doors. II
bees have not that amount, feed them
at once until they have--they do mnch
better if left where they can ily freely.
We think bee-keepers have failed to
pay proper attention 10 several impor.
tant items in preparing bees for win
Ter:
Isl. They have allowed them to re-
main too late ont in the cold. until the
combs become frosty before putting
them away.
I'd. They have chosen very cold,
-inst0Ad of -scsSss4- -t;ss.e 10 move them
al. They have allowed too mncb
ventilation, and Il draft through The
hive has made The bees uncomfortable.
This is prevented by the quilt, which
secures warmth while moisture passesi
through.
In these directions we have spoken
OF strong colonies. smaller ones can
be wintered successfully as Homer has
told us, but they need more care aud
greater warmth We will hear from
Homer on this point in November
next, ELLrS :. TurrEr--Homesiend,