The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-21
AGRICULTURAL.
removing Bees from Winter Quarters.

Removing D66S lEOl1l w lAt6I tJuSik bOi p
During the latter part of March or the
early part of April, we are often favored
with few warm and really spring-like days ;
and some bee-keepers, thinking, perhaps,
that warm weather has really come to stay,
make haste to remove the bees from their
snug winter quarters. Of course the bees
fly far and near in fruitess search for OPP
ening flowers, and in bringing water to the
hives. This activity stimulates breeding,
and if these balmy days were not interrupt
ed by return of winter weather, all would
be well; but when very cold weather comes
after considerable brood has been started in
this manner, much of the brood is apt to be
chilled; and then If there follow bright, sun
shiny DAYS that entice the bees from their
hives when cold, raw winds are blowing,
many bees are lost, and "spring dwindling"
is the usual result.
Bee-keepers who have been the most sue
cessful with indoor wintering do not remove
their bees from the wintering repository un-
til there are flowers to furnish honey and
pollen. / have read and heard of several in
stances where, either from neglect or some
other cause, a few colonies were left in the
cellar until some time in May, and when
finally placed upon their summer stands,
these colonies soon equaled, and in some cas-
es outstripped the others. As a general rule,
bees should be left in the cellar as long as
they remain quiet. In order to keep the
temperature so low that the bees would re-
main quiet, ice has been carried into the Gel
lar, or the outside cellar doors left open nights
and kept closed during the day. In some IN
stances air has been conducted into the cell
lar through pipe that passes several Tunes
through the contents of an ice house, when
very effectually kept the cellar at low temp
erature. If the bees cannot be kept quiet,
hao iy,uf IN, oh Ot dVS-
EMERY, it might be well to carry them out
some warm day, allow them to have good
purifying fight, and then return them to the
cellar.
Before placing their bees in winter quart
ers, many bee-keepers number each hive
and the stand that it occupies; and are par
ticular, when carrying the bees out in the
spring, that each hive is placed upon its
own stand. Although bees always circle
about and " take their bearings /" the first
time that they leave the hive after being
taken from the cellar, yet cannot say from
experience what would be the result of set
ting them out promiscuOusly; but let the
result be what it might, l think it just as
well, probably better, that each hive should
occupy its accustomed stand.
If there is any time that bees need tucking
up with chaff, cushions, and the like, it is
from the time that they are taken from the
cellar until about the first of June. At this
time the combs are filling up with brood,
and the old bees, whose vitality is nearly
exhausted, are taxed to their utmost in
caring for so many little "baby bees" and
when the brood nest is surrounded by some
thick, warm substance, few bees are required
to keep up the proper temperature; conse-
quently more bees can be spared to labor in
the fields, and there is little danger of the
brood being chilled.-Corr. Country Cen
tleman.