Wintering Bees in CellarsPhillips, Everett Franklin
Science
Wintering Bees in Cellars
Phillips, Everett Franklin
Bee culture
As in the case of outdoor wintering, the essentials to success in
caring for a normal colony of bees from the end of one season's
honey-flow to the beginning of the next lie in providing three things
in abundance: (1) Stores of good quality, (2) protection from wind
and cold, and (3) room for the rearing of brood at appropriate times.
These factors must not be lacking at the right times, and if any one
is omitted it may prevent the bees from gathering the crop of the
following season. These three factors do not apply equally throughout
the period of relative inactivity, but as certainly as any one of them
is decreased, just so certainly will the crop of the following year be
reduced.
In practicing cellar wintering it is unnecessary to leave so much honey
with the bees during the time that they are in the cellar, and it is
not necessary during that period to leave room for the rearing of
brood. During the coldest part of the winter the bees need especially
protection from cold and wind, although enough good stores must be in
the hive to keep them through that period in good condition. Probably
a large part of the failure of beekeepers in practicing cellar
wintering comes from the fact that before and after the bees are in
the cellar the important factors of stores and breeding room have not
been adequately supplied. Before the bees are put into the cellar they
must have room for breeding and stores in abundance, and after they
are taken out these two factors must be present in greatly increased
abundance.
NECESSITY OF STRONG COLONIES IN THE FALL.
As in the case of wintering outdoors, it is wasteful to attempt to
winter weak colonies. It is difficult to set standards of colony
strength at this season, but it is unwise to attempt to winter
colonies that are not strong enough to have brood sufficient to fill
three or four Langstroth frames two months before the first killing
frost. If the colonies in the apiary are not of the proper strength,
it is wise to unite until the proper strength is reached. Any uniting
should be done before the close of brood-rearing.
It is of the greatest importance that every colony have a good queen in
order that brood-rearing may continue in the fall and may then again
proceed rapidly in the spring. Usually it is best to requeen at least
every two years, but if good wintering is practiced the colonies will
come out of winter quarters so strong and will build up so rapidly
in the spring that the queens will soon wear out, making it safer to
requeen every year. To get the best results from requeening, all young
queens should be introduced so that they begin to lay about two months
before the first killing frost.
WINTER STORES.
The stores given to the bees from the end of one season to the
beginning of the next are of the first importance. It is necessary to
consider both the quality and the quantity of these stores.
QUALITY OF STORES.
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