The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-01-13
WlNTERlNG BEES.
ION Out of Doors Versus P1ac-
ing Hives In the Cellar.


ing Hives In the Cellar.
In the northern states no one now
thinks of wintering bees out of doors
without protection. Some beeheepers
use double wall hives, the space between
the walls being filed with chat. Otii-
ers are single wall hives, which are
cheaper, ard they are protected with
chat, sawdust, forest leaves or the like,
this material being held in place by an
outer case made for the purpose or by a
packing box of some kind. Sometimes
hives are protected by being placed in
long rows, boards being put up at the
front, back and ends, then the packing
material is put in and a roof put over
all. The packing ought to be three or
four inches thick at the sides and five
Or six deep on top.
There is much talk Of the damage
done by moisture in outdoor wintering.
The moisture does no harm SO long as it
is in the form of vapor, and it will re-
main in that form unlesrAt in
contact with some cool surface. Some
make arrangements for this moisture to
pass off above the brood nest, but this
makes more or less of a draft through
the hive. A better way is to have the
hives SO we'll protected that the cold air
cannot strike the walls, then there will
be no condensation. The place to give
ventilation is at the bottom. Put a rim
two inches high under each hive. Have
an entrance in the upper edge Of the
rim. This will do away with all clog
ging of the entrance with dead bees,
and no dead bees will become damp
and mouldy from the moisture that
escapes from the cluster.
Plenty OF bees and an abundance of
stores are needed in outdoor wintering,
but it has the advantage that a warm
day allows the bees an opportunity to
fly. II it were not for this advantage,
The winterins Of bees out Of doors in the
north would not be very successful.
There is no way in which the winter
ing of bees in the north can be reduced
TO SO exact q science as by wintering
them in the cellar or special repository.
The strength Of the colonies and the
amount and quality Of the stores can be
controlled, but in the open air there is
no control of temperature. In the cellar
the temperature can be kept nearly the
anne In short, the condition can be
made the same year after year. If we
fail one year and learn why, the mis-
take need not be repeated. Another
great advantage of cellar wintering is
the saving Of stores. At the very lowest
estimate a saving Of from six to ten
pounds per colony is effected. With 900
colonies in the cellar this means a saw
ing of 500.
The time to put bees in the cellar is
just before the coming of hard, freezing
weather. The idea is to leave them out
as long as there is a fair prospect of
their enjoying another flight, and yet
get them in before the first snowstorm.
When putting them in, manage to have
the weakest colonies at the top of the
piles of hives, as this part of the cellar
is warmer than lee the floor. Leave
the bottom boards in the yard and put
two inch pieces on the top of each hive,
raising each one at least two inches
from the one below.
The regulation temperature is 45 de-
grees, but temperature is not the only
point to be considered. Moisture,
strength Of colonies, kind Of hives, etc.,
Ill have a bearing. A moist cellar must
kept at a higher temperature than a
Try one. The best guide is the behavior
# the bees themselves. If they are rest
and noisy, it is likely that the tenn
.oerature is not right-that is, if the
'ood is of the right quality, says W. 2.
with whom the foregoing
Idvice originates in Prairie Farmer.