Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-11-16
Preparing Bees for Winter.

a bee-keeper OF large experience gives
the following advice through the col
umns of Gle0nings Of Bee Culture: Years
ago, when l first began to keep bees, l
thought there was little which needed
doing with the bees during the month Of
September and October, thinking that
the month of November was early
enough to prepare bees for winter, and
many time have l equalized the stores
in the hive ''by FROST, " as [ used to term
it, thinking that l could get along with
the matter easier and quicker while the
bees were thickly packed away in their
winter quarters, than [ could possibly
do when warm weather compelled me
to use smoke to drive the bees out of the
way, and keep their temper down so
could handle them. Well, if this were
all there was to it | should still prefer to
equalize the stores after cold nights had
compelled the bees to contract off the
heavy combs of honey; but after losing
heavily several times when preparations
were thus delayed, for the reason that
the disturbing of bees late in the fall
seems to be very injurious, concluded
to take the advice of an old bee-keeper,
who told me that the month of Septem-
Der was the proper time to fix the bees
for winter. After working on this plan
for number of years, find that he was
quite right about it; and in order that
the readers of Gleanings may be re-
minded that winter is soon to be upon
US, and that they should not delay get
ting the bees ready for it longer than till
the last Of this month, [ will tell them
little of how [ work along this line.
The point which seems to have the
greatest bearing on successful wintering
q. Il, 81, or
and around the cluster of bees in time
for them to settle down into that quies-
cent state so conducive to good winter
ing, prior to November first. To ar
range these stores and properly seal
them requires warm weather; hence it is
clear, / think, to all, why we should not
put off caring for them till cold weather
arrives. To be sure that all have the de-
sired amount of honey, there is only one
certain way to do, and that is to open
the hives and take each frame and Ugh
it, after having shaken the bees OF from
it. Next weigh frame Of empty comb,
or several of them, so as to get the
average weight, which, when deducted
from the weight of those in the hive,
will give the weight of the honey. If it
is found that there are twenty five pounds
of honey, l call that colony all right for
winter If less it must be fed to make
up the deficiency; if more, it can spare
some to help another colony which is
short. In this way go over the whole
yard, equalizing and feeding, if it is re-
quired, till all have the required twenty
five pounds.
Where feeding is required, 1 manage
differently from what [ used to, in that
now feed from three to five pounds
day, while formerly 1 used to feed all
the colony required, at one feeding. To
be sure, there is less work where the
whole is fed at once; but to offset this,
we have the stores scattered all through
the hive, which, in my opinion, is
very undesirable shape to have them in.
Where it is necessary to feed L always
select the number Of combs that [ think
the colony will require, taking those
which have the most honey in them. and,
by means of this same division board
feeder, shut the bees on that number of
combs, which tcombs) Of course get all
the feed, thus securing it in just the
shape needed.