The morning news., 1897-03-18

producers are wintered after the most APP
proved fashion. Here the hives are piled
upon each other. tier upon tier. and sew
eral hundred may be kept in one cellar.
An even temperature is kept in the cellar
all winter-a temperature not warm
enough to make the bees active, nor yet
cold enough to injure them. A, current of
cold air is kept circulating all the time,
for foul atmosphere causes great NOR
tality
In these cellar hives the bees are in a
semi-hibernating condition most of the
winter. When the top of the hive Is re-
moved they can be seen clustered to-
gether in great black patches, hugging
each other closely, as II 10 keep warm
For a long time there will be no sign of
life; then a wing or black leg will move,
showing the restless sleep of some bee.
On cold days they can be picked UP with
impunity. and the little creatures will
shrivel up into round balls and give a lit
tie buzz with the wings. If taken into
a warm room they will soon revive, and
begin to fly against the pane Of glass
where the sun is shining.
During the midwinter thaw the aplarist
encourages the bees to leave their quar-
ters. and If they can be induced to fly
around in the warm sunshine for a few
hours, their health is greatly improved.
Those kept In the winter hives out doors
can be induced to exercise their wings
very easily, for the warm sun beating
down upon their exposed hive awakens
them, and makes them think that sum-
mer has come again. If the entrance is
opened they will crawl forth, a cold, shv-
ering line of insects, and warm them
selves in the rays of sunlight. Then as
the temperature of their bodies is rails
ed they expand their wings, stretch their
legs, and finally start Off on a little tour
of inspection. They fly directly to their
old summer haunts, where the flowers
blCssomed In the greatest profusion, but
they soon return. Often they do not
alight at ALL but come back to the hive
with a disappointed air.
Occasionally they are delayed in their
tourney and are chilled through before
they reach their home The apiarist is al
WAYS on the watch for them, and Is ready
to help them into the hive. Frequently
their wings will carry them to the hive
while their legs are so numb that they
are unable to crawl in. The beekeeper Is
consequently present to gather them up
in his ungloved hand and put them into
the hive.
The bees, although sleeping most of the
winter arc nevertheless pretty good feed
ers, and the inexperienced beekeeper who
fails 10 provide them with sufficient honey
or sugar syrup will find his colony dead
before spring During the winter 1t Is
necessary to inspect the provision supply
pie for the needs of the insects. A sub
stitute for good honey is made of sugar.
which the bees will eat, but that they do
not like II as well as pure honey Is evinc-
ed by the fact that they will neglect IL
when the latter is also given 10 them.
The winter season Is a trying period to
the beekeeper in cold states. In Califor-
MIA and the south he has little to trou-
ble him. But in the north there are death
by freezing, the destruction of whole col
onies from foul brood caused by moist
ure collecting In the bee-cellars, and seri-
Gus epidemics of various diseases
When the first signs of spring appear,
the apiarist visits his hives with fear and
trembling He does not know how many
dead and missing will make up the roll of
losses for the winter until he has care
fully inspected every separate hive. The
first thing he does Is to ascertain IL the
queens are all right. He opens the hive
and looks for brood and eggs If these
are found in good condition, he breathes
sigh of relief, for he knows that the
queen is living whether visible or not
A glance into the hive at this season Is
| interesting to the uninitiated. The tiny
| eggs are laid at the bottom of each cell,
and as they are less than one-sixteenth Of
an inch long when first laid, 1t is some
| times difficult to see them. In a few days
| however, the small white cylinder bursts,
and a small worm will appear. surround
! ed with liquid bee food. 1t grows rapidly,
| gradually filling up the cell, when II is
ceaed over and left to spin its cocoon
| and develop into a perfect bee. When the
| apiarist opens his hives early in the spring
| he should find the brood in all these
| stages of growth, from the eggs just laid
to the sealed grub.
On the other hand, If he discovers no
signs of eggs or sealed grubs, and only a
few old bees alive in the hive he knows
| fq nd hn
colony is In a critical condition. The only
remedy for this state of affairs is to go to
one of the thriving colonies and take out
one of the movable frames of brood, and
place IL In the center Of the hive without
| a queen. The few disconsolate bees which
have weathered the cold season, while
| their comrades pershed around them. will
take new courage and proceed Immediate
ly to hatch the new brood and rear an
other queen
The bee-keeper, anxious to improve his
colony with new blood, may wish to in
troduce a new queen into the colony, and
there is no better time than just as spring
opens. This is the time that Italian or
Carniolian queens are introduced to i'm
prove the stock, The queens must be
on hand early in the season, and before
introducing them the hive is examined
for queen cells. These cells are prominent
protuberances on the edges and sides of
the combs. They loow very much like pea
nuts, and are easily detected. All OF
these queen cells have to be cut out be-
fore the bees will accept a new queen.
A foreign queen would not be received so
long as the bees had their own brood
queens in the process Of growth.
The common method of introducing the
strange queen so that she will be accepta-
bic TO the colony is to use a little strate-
gy. Modern queen-cages come already
prepared. In them the queens can be ship
ped long distances. The cork Is taken out
and the opening covered over with sugar
paste. When the cage Is put on the
frames inside of the hive, the bees viii
Instantly begin to eat through the sugar
into the colony in this peculiar way, the
queen Is generally welcomed, and she pro-
ceeds to look after the duties of her house,
hold during the coming season, when the
flowing honey keeps the whole colony
busy.
IS HE HAUNTED ny A VAMPIRES
Alameda BrnIxemnu'a Weird Tale of