Wintering Bees in CellarsPhillips, Everett Franklin
Science
Wintering Bees in Cellars
Phillips, Everett Franklin
Bee culture
As has been stated, it is fortunate that in both of the zones where
cellar wintering is or might be practiced the natural stores usually
are good. Honeys such as those from white and alsike clovers, sweet
clover, alfalfa, wild raspberry, buckwheat, and willowherb are fine
stores for winter, while honeys from basswood, heartsease (smart-weed),
asters, goldenrod, and most of the other fall flowers are less
desirable. It is especially important during the period when the
bees are in the cellar that the stores shall be of the very finest
quality, and it is therefore the practice of many good beekeepers to
feed each colony 5 pounds or more of sirup made of granulated sugar
Into in the fall, after all brood-rearing has ceased. This insures that
the bees will have for their use, during the period of confinement in
the cellar, stores which will not bring about the condition known as
dysentery. In general it may be stated that honeys from mixed sources
and dark honeys, except buckwheat, are to be avoided. Honeydew honeys
are highly injurious and in all cases where such stores are present
granulated sugar sirup should be fed.
QUANTITY OF STORES.
From the end of one honey season to the beginning of the next a good
colony of bees will need fully 45 pounds of honey. When the bees are
wintered in the cellar, it is usual not to have all of this honey in
the one hive body in which they are wintered. It is a good practice
to have at least 20 pounds within this hive, although 15 pounds will
be safe. It is absolutely imperative, however, that the remainder of
the 45 pounds shall be available to be given to the bees soon after,
they are taken from the cellar. The most common cause of poor colonies
in the spring is poverty, directly due to neglect on the part of the
beekeeper. A good beekeeper sees to it that at no time when brood is
being reared do his bees have less than 15 pounds of stores in the
hive, and the full amount of 45 pounds often will all be used, and is
always needed if the colonies are to come to full strength on time
for the gathering of the full crop. This amount is always augmented
by honey from spring flowers, for 45 pounds of honey is not enough to
bring a colony to full strength in time for the main honey-flow.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE APIARY.
Where bees are wintered in cellars the particular arrangement of the
hives in the apiary is not so important a problem as where they are
wintered on their summer stands, yet there are certain important
considerations in the arrangement of the entire apiary which should be
kept in mind.
WIND PROTECTION.
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