Wintering Bees in CellarsPhillips, Everett Franklin
Science
Wintering Bees in Cellars
Phillips, Everett Franklin
Bee culture
If the bees have been requeened at the proper time and if the total
amount of stores is given as indicated, it will not be worth while
to go through the bees to look for queenless colonies. The beekeeper
should see to it that at least 45 pounds of honey are provided for
each colony from the time of the last honey-flow in the fall to the
beginning of the first main honey-flow of the following season. If this
is not given in full, the beekeeper may be sure that the crop of the
following year will be reduced. This amount of honey left for the use
of the bees is a better investment for the beekeeper than money in the
bank.
It should be pointed out that the giving of a second hive body in the
spring is not simply a means of supplying additional stores, but more
than one hive body will be needed for the development of the brood. A
single 10-frame Langstroth hive is not large enough for the development
of a good colony of bees, which, before the beginning of the main honey
flow, should have brood to fill at least 12 frames.
As was stated earlier in this bulletin, a colony of bees from one
season to the next needs three things in abundance--room for the
development of the brood, stores of good quality, and protection from
wind and cold. In cellar wintering the protection is given by putting
the bees in the cellar; the room and stores must be supplied later or
the population of the colony will be reduced at the critical time of
the honey-flow. If the early sources of honey are abundant, the amount
of honey advised will not be consumed. The wise beekeeper, however,
does not gamble on the early honey-flows, but invests this honey as
life insurance for his bees.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS IN CELLAR WINTERING.
It is often difficult for the beekeeper to know whether his bee
cellar is giving the best results, for he may not have been able to
determine from reading or the observation of other cellars whether it
is satisfactory. The writers, therefore, have attempted below to give
a few measures which the beekeeper may apply to his apiary and his
cellar, so that he may be able to decide whether his methods of cellar
wintering should be improved.
(1) During the winter a thermometer inserted in the entrance of the
hive should show a temperature of at least 52° F.
(2) There should never be any condensed moisture on the covers of the
hives, and certainly never any on the bottoms.
(3) While, the cellar should be kept dark at all times, if a candle
is held at the entrance of a hive at the end of January it should be
several seconds before any of the bees break cluster. Frequently the
cellar doors may be opened in March without disturbing the bees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account