The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-10-11
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. SippeI


Probably one of the greatest prob
lens facing Montana ~beekeepers j;
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 stock
the country would soon be stockless
and the stockmen out of business.
1t is true that beekeepers cannot
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 mind
when preparing his colonies for the
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, suf-
ficient protection should be provided.
Bees, unlike other insects, do not
hibernate and therefore must have
food to live on. 1t is impossible to
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 b~eekeepers allow
each colony to have an extra supply
of honey. This is a very commend
able plan to follow, since colonies
this amount of stores are GER
tain to have a sufficient amount of
stores until new honey comes in the
following spring. Bees never waste
any of their stores and any honey
is left in the spring will be util-
.zed in rearing young bees and thus
to the strength of the colony.
Often the cause of loss of colonies
s the attempt to winter colonies
which are too weak. There is no
lard and fast rule as to what size
he colony should be, but it is gener-
lily considered that it is unwise to
to winter colonies that are I'M
BILE to have at least four frames of
rood six or eight weeks before the
dShlilS 10 pun III OO10llCo Lhob IL
sufficiently strong should be
Inited until the proper strength is
btained. This should be done at
east two weeks before they are pack
d.
The life of a bee depends entirely
n the amount of muscular energy
t must perform. For this reason
eekeepers prefer to have their colo
les made up of young bees when
.oing into winter quarters. Bees
lay be compared to small dry cell
arteries. Each is charged with so
luch energy and this energy, when
expended, cannot be replaced. Dur
lg the honey flow bees use up their
nergy in a few weeks and die. Young
ees, however, which hatch later in
season, r expected to conserve
leir energy for the spring brood
expanding as little as pos !
BILE in maintaining a colony tenn ]
erature during the winter. c
Each colony should have a vigor- {
US young queen in order that the
,lony may carry on brood rearing /
the fall and make rapid progress
the spring. Many beekeepers pre- t
IT to requiem their colonies each 3
ear but this is not necessary. Often
leens are too valuable as breeders /
dispose of them after one years a
ork and many queens are found to b
} even better work in their second @
EAR. However, it has been found in i
,neral practice unwise to keep a e
leen longer than a period of two k
The purpose of providing extra v
election to the colonies wintered F
It of doors is to aid in the c~onserva- v
IN of heat and energy. A worker s.
e has only a certain amount of en- t.
gy and when this energy is expend-
the bee dies. Thus, if the colony h
called on to give up most of its n
during a long and cold winter v
pig portion of the bees will die and Ia
colony will become so weakened p
At it will be in poor shape to build al
rapidly in the spring.
Generally speaking it is advisable =
provide at least four inches of
cking OF all four sides and from