The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-10-12
bee WINTERINC Is
SERIOUS PROBLEM
PLENTY OF HONEY FOR FEED
AND VIGOROUS QUEENS
ARE NECESSARY
Bees Do Not Hibernate and Must
Have Plenty of Feed on Which to
Winter; Many Beekeepers Allow
Extra Supply of Honey.
BY o. A. Sippel


lens facing Montana beekeepers i
the successful wintering of bees
Each year the beekeepers lose from
five to SO per cent of their colonies
If this loss were applied to live stool
the country would soon be stockles
and the stockmen out of business.
1t is true that beekeepers canno
hope to bring all of their colonies
safely through the winter but there
is no need for this high percentage
of loss in colonies. There are GER
tain fundamental principles which
the beekeeper must bear in mint
when preparing his colonies for ths
winter; first, all colonies should have
plenty of honey to feed on during the
winter; second, colonies should be
strong and populous in young bees;
third, colonies should be headed by
vigorous young queens; fourth, sui
ficient protection should be provided
| Bees, unlike other insects, do not
hibernate and therefore must have
| food to live on. 1t is impossible tc
state Just how much honey a colony
will need to winter on as this de-
ponds on the condition of the colony
and the method used in wintering
| 1t is generally conceded that a colony
should have at least forty to fifty
pounds of we'll ripened honey in the
hive when wintered out-of-doors. A
good many practical beekeepers allow
each colony to have an extra supply
of honey. This is very commend
able plan to follow, since colonies
with this amount of stores are GER
tain to have sufficient amount OF
stores until new honey comes in the
following spring. Bees never waste
any of their stores and any honey
that is left in the spring will be util-
lied in rearing young bees and thus
adding to the strength of the colony.
Often the cause of loss of colonies
is the attempt to winter colonies
which are too weak. There is no
hard and fast rule as to what size
the colony should be, but it is gener-
ally considered that it is unwise to
try to winter colonies that are un-
able to have at least four frames of
brood six or eight weeks before the
packing is put on. Colonies that are
not sufficiently strong should be
united until the proper strength is
obtained. This should be done at
least two weeks before they are pack
ed.
The life of a bee depends entirely
on the amount of muscular energy
it must perform. For this reason
beekeepers prefer to have their colo
MES made up of young bees when
going into winter quarters. Bees
may be compared to small dry cell
batteries. Each is charged with so
much energy and this energy, when
expended, cannot be replaced. Dur
ing the honey flow bees use up their
energy in a few weeks and die. Young
bees, however, which hatch later in
the season, are expected to conserve
their energy for the spring brood
rearing, expanding as little as pos
sible in maintaining a colony tenn
perature during the winter.
Each colony should have a vigor-
Gus young queen in order that the
colony may carry on brood rearing
in the fall and make rapid progress
in the spring. Many beekeepers pre-
fer to requiem their colonies each
year but this is not necessary. Often
queens are too valuable as breeders
to dispose of them after one years
work and many queens are found to
do even better work in their second
year. However, it has been found in
general practice unwise to keep
queen longer than period of two
years.
The purpose of providing extra
protection to the colonies wintered
out of doors is to aid in the conserva-
ton of heat and energy. A worker
bee has only a certain amount of en-
ergy and when this energy is expend-
I'D the bee dies. Thus, if the colony
Is called on to give up most of it's |
energy during long and cold winter |
/ big portion of the bees will die and |
he colony will become so weakened |
hat it will be in poor shape to build
Up rapidly in the spring.
Generally speaking it is advisable
% provide at least four inches of I
packing on all four sides and from
light to IL inches on top. The pur-
rose of providing a greater amount
# packing on top is to take up the
Excessive moisture given off by the
,ees. This moisture if allowed to re-
main on the hive will cause the
ombs to become mouldy and at the
anne time cause the hive to become
older.
1t is debated question as to which
) the best packing for bees. Forest
caves are considered best. Where
hey cannot be had, dry shavings, saw
ust, or straw will do. In using
traw little more thickness on all
our sides should be given.
In providing protection as before
lentioned the entrance should not
g entirely closed. The size will be
overned by the strength and con-
ition of the colony. An entrance
nree-eighths by five inches is about
ne proper size for the average col
ny.