The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-10-10
WlNTERlNG BEES.
The Respective Merits of Double and Sim
gle Walled Hives Compared.

gle Walled Hives Compared.
The subject of double versus walled
hives has been more or less discussed
through the columns Of The American
Bee Journal An advocate for the dou-
BILE walled hives, c. Z. Mead of Illinois,
writes:
The most satisfaction comes through
my double walled hives. one colony
that was wintered in a two story ten
frame hive did not stir enough all win
ter to let me know whether they were
dead or not-ten frames Of brood and
honey, and more honey han hey had i'll
the fall plenty Of drones and queen
cell cups started and the 20 frames COW
cred with bees. Ny other double walled
hives, with ten frame hives at the bot
tom and two inches Of packing on top,
and then the bottom Of a nucleus colony
in an eight Vame hive, with an opening
at right angles with the lower hive,
came through i'll splendid condition.
These nuclei had two inch opening
four inches from the entrance The bees
are placed on the left side of the tier
and the entrance on the right corner.
One Of these nuclei | consider as re-
markable. 1t had more bees and honey
than in the fall-eight frames solid full
of honey and brood. and only dandelion
and scanty fruit bloom to get ii from.
The lightest nucleus had only three
frames with brood in, and could not
see that they had eaten five pounds Of
honey. These nuclei had at least six
inches of packing over them, and the
heat of the big colony about 3 inches
below them makes it so warm that 1t is
necessary to give them as much room
and honey as do. In bad season they
will breed up and starve before it is
warm enough to open the hives to see if
they need stores l am not as sure Of
wintering these small nuclei packed
over the strong colonies as | am the big
ones.
As / have lost but one colony in ten
years in these double hiyes-and that
came through the winter all right, but
for some reason the queen died, and she
was only 2 years old united them
with the nucleus above them. One half
of the bees III the single walled hives
died, and the other half do not compare
in strength with the nuclei wintered
above the strong colonies. And the
amount Of honey consumed is enough
more TO pay for the double hives i'll two
seasons | have had to draw young bees
from these strong colonies TO get the
colonies in single walled hives up to
paying strength.
This way of wintering nuclei is new,
but my losses III finding out how We're
considerable. | thought | had a sure
thing when tried a long hive with two
strong colonies in each end and nu-
cleus III the center, with wire cloth di
vision boards between colonies. They !
were very uneasy In the spring all
were dead. | tried double wire division
boards the next winter and extra strong
colonies at the ends, SO the bees could
not well communicate. One colony sur
viyed. l am positive the draft though |
slight, chilled and killed my bees.
thought of my present plan, and it is a
success.
Now comes Mr. Doolittle and says
double hives are better to winter in the
cellar. Well you can safely follow any
thing Doolittle says.
Then comes North Carolina" and /
says it pays there, as bees leave the su-
pers in the cold nights of spring, which
will apply to most southern states.