The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-01-27

AND USEFUL INFORMATION.
Bees in Winter.


The problem of successfully..win-
tering bees is one that has perplex-
ed, more or less, our best apiaris ms,
and it does not yet seem to have
been satisfactorily solved. Three
methods have been advocated with
regard to the location of the hives
in winter, first, on the summer
stands; second, In cellars, and
third, which is essentially the same
as the second, that of burning
The common opinion, we believe, is
that bees can be wintered as we'll
out OF doors as anywhere, provided
the necessary precautions are taken.
L. Bees should be provided with
sufficient amount of food for winter.
Professor Cook says that to winter
safely demands that the bess have
thirty pounds by weight, not guess,
OF capped honey, though COTE A
sugar is just as, good. A strip
made of two parts of A sugar, and
one OF water, fed warm in the can
each evening, will be carried down
very rapidly. Sticks of plain white
candy thrust down between the
combs among the bees, before their
honey is quite exhausted, will
greatly lengthen out their stores.
But bees have been known to die
even while there was honey in the
outer combs. 1t is well known
that with the approach of cold
weather bees recede from the outer
combs and gather into a compact
mass In the centre of the hive. so
as to husband their animal heat.
but as these central combs are not
generally well supplied with honey,
being rather for raising the brood,
the bees soon exhaust the supply
within reach, and die rather than
move en- masse to the combs which
they have before deserted. 2. Elk
tremes of heat and cold must be
avoided. If the temperature of the
hive becomes too high, as may be
the case when within doors, the
bees become restless, eat too much,
and if confined to their hives. are
distended with their fpces, become
diseased and die. Hence the neces
sity of allowing the bees to have a
purifying flight. when the hives are
out of doors, when the weather will
permit it, Too low temperature
Is likewise detrimental. To keep
up animal heat they must consume
more food, are uneasy, exhale much
moisture, which may settle and
freeze on the outer combs, prevent
ing them from getting at the need
ed food, even if they were so in
clined. 1t is also liable to produce
fungus growths. 8. Particular care
must be taken when hives are out
of doors in the winter to protect
them from piercing winds which so
powerfully tend to exhaust their
animal heat. One authority saws
that bees, if sheltered from the
wind, will endure a temperature
low enough to freeze mercury with
ou5 suffering as much as by expos
ure to a powerful and long-contin-
ued current of air, some 40 or so
degrees warmer. This NAV be an
extreme statement, but there is
doubtless much truth in 1t. 1t is
desirable that the temperature
should be kept between 50 and so
degrees Fahrenheit through the en-
tire winter, which may be done by
boxing up the hives with straw or
chaff, leaving the entrance open for
exit. If bees are kept in cellars
they should be moved thither be
fore cold weather and should re-
main until April or May, though if
there are any warm days in the win
ter they may be taken out of the
cellar and permitted to fly about.
Towards night return to the cellar.
Ii bees be buried for the winter it
should be done in sandy and we'll
drained soil, then q mound formed
above them to afford sufficient pro
lection. Five colonies treated thus
N 1878 lost altogether less than
one halfgill of BEES Rural New
Yorker,