Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-07
Wintering Bees.

THERE are three ways of wintering
bees-on their summer stands, in cellars
and in winter bee-houSes. In the Middle
and Southern States, it is best to win
ter them on their summer stands, with
protection around the hives where the
winters are cold, as in New Jersey, Della
ware and other States in the same latitude,
or further South.
When hives are set about a foot apart
upon low stands they may be protected by
driving stakes on both sides of them
front and rear), and at the ends and then
fill in cOmpactly all around them with
hay or straw, two or three inches thick
with temporary roof of boards to keep
the straw dry. This protection is sufficient
for any latitude, however cold it may be
and enables the bees to winter with as
little loss generally as occurs under any
other system. The passage-way to the
hives must not be INSTRUCTED by the straw,
as the bees will require an occasional
flight in mild weather.
Another way is to have cheap, outside
boxes made, open at both ends, which are
to be placed over the hives, and the open
space 1.-TWO or three inches) on each side
filled with straw packed in firmly A
hole in each box, cut out in front of the
openings in the hives, having something
placed in it to keep the passage-way from
being shut up with straw, will afford the
bees egress and ingress, when it is safe to
allow them to take flight.
In very cold climates, as the New En-
gland States, and running west through
Central and Northern New York, Mich
gan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the pre-
yailing opinion of bee-keepers is that bees
winter best in bee houses made so that the
thermometer never falls below the freez-
ing point-a difficult thing to effect in
very cold winters. Such houses are made
above ground generally, being boarded up
on the inside, and the space between the
studs packed with sawdust, and floor
laid across at the plates and the open
space above filled with straw. Ventila-
ton is effected by a conductor about six
floor across the plates through the ridge
of the building, and always kept open.
There should also be conductor running
under the sill on the north, or west side,
with an elbow about two feet long on the
outside to come above ordinary SHOWS
This ventilator should have a sliding
guage to let in air according to the tenn
perature outside.
If bees could be put into such home
as winter approaches, and their owner
have no further care in regard to them
till spring, and then bring them out all in
good condition, bee-keeping, III all cases
where the honey harvest is abundant,
would be grand success. But no bee
keeper, with his bees thus homed, knows
what few days may bring forth. If the
weather is intensely cold for several
weeks, and the frost gets into the building,
many of his families of bees may perish.
Then if warm "spell' takes place-a
few days like May weather-there is
trouble from the bees becoming aroused,
and trying to escape from their contine-
ment.
The requirements to winter bees in Gel
lars are dryness and darkness with the
thermometer ranging from thirty-five to
forty-five degrees; bnt it sometimes runs
up to fifty or sixty deg, and then as in
bee houses, the bees make great efforts to
leave their hives, being shut in with wire
cloth over the passage-ways. To guard
against the bees being smOthered, in con-
sequence of rushing in large numbers to
the passage-waYs, it is advisable to raise
the hives from their stands an eight of an
inch, placing wedges under the corners.
During the last ten years | think the
States has disappeared by disasters to
them in wintering-that is, that we have
no more bees in the aggregate now than
we had ten years ago. Frequently
writer will say, g / have followed this or
that plan in wintering my bees, and. for
seasons | have lost none" thus conveying
the idea that his plan is "a success every
year But not one of such statements
that have appeared during the last twenty
five years has proved, or can prove, to be
a success in all cases. For instance, take
the statement of writer in the Rural Of
Oct 2Sth He thinks that he has found
remedy for all the ills to which
honey bees are subject in winter,
by making holes through the combs,
so that the bees may pass easily
from one comb to another in cold
weather to obtain honey. If he lost 20
bees during two or three winters. 1t was
not owing to the holes in the combs, but
to the mild winters, or the condition Of
his bees in the fall. Holes have been
made in combs many years; yet there is
no proof that they are of much benefit, if
of any at all, because the bees leave side
openings, when they build their comis,,
and when the weather is mild enough to
allow them to pass through center open
ing they can pass through the opening at
the sides of the combs.
If we take the trouble to ascertain what
experience most writers on bees ii the