Show FOR SUCCESS IN WINTERING BEES Some of Best Apiarists Place Honey Honey Gatherers in Cellars i i or Special Repositories I i. i S. S ALL LL HIVES ARE PROTECTED Pr Provide vide Abundance of Stores of Good Quality and Shelter From Wind and Cold Cold Of Of Great Importance Importance Importance tance to Have Good Queen Prepared by the United States Stales Department Depart Depart- ment of or A Lees S 11 n u the thc more parts of ofHie the Hie United S States Scales for years have ha le n placed by h some of the best lIest beekeepers bee bee- IW keepers Iel's in nn cellars or special repositories repositories tories during l' l the coldest parts of the whiter winter There has hus been a n growing feeling feel feel- ill in ing lion however howe ever that If out outdoor wintering wintering winter winter- I in ing I Is practicable in most cases It gi gives s. s belter hetter results and there has been beena n a derided change from cellar wintering 1 to outdoor wintering within the tame past decade The seems seems to be that the method method- of cellar wintering practiced ell have not been satisfactory and it reems probable that If IC as ns much attention had been given gh-en to the perfection perfection per per- of the methods of cellar wintering win twin as us has lias been gin given n to an nn improvement Improve Oe Improvement ment of the methods of f outdoor or winterIng wintering winter winter- ing there them would woul not have been as gr great greata nt a 1 change to the outdoor methods as us has hns taken place The placing of LH bees es In a n cellar r Is Is only o another wi way of putting Insulation s 5 t a 5 Interior of Bee Cellar With Hives in Piles of Four about the hives the only difference being heibl that In tn the cellar all aU of the hives es b ate alike and the le protection Is placed place about the apiary Instead gf Qt around hives hins In ha groups or singly It follows that the principles which apply apply apply ap ap- ap- ap ply to successful outdoor wintering apply equally equall to the protection of the bees In the cellar Essentials to Success As In the case of outdoor wintering the essentials to success In caring for forR fora R a normal colony of bees from the end I o of one seasons season's hone honey flow to the be- be I be-I of the next He lie In providing three things In abundance nce 1 Stores of good quality 2 protection from wind Mind an and col cold and 3 room for the roaring rearing of brood at appropriate times These Those factors must not be lacking at atthe atthe the right times and if nn any one Is omitted omitted omitted omit omit- ted it may prevent the bees from gathering gathering gathering gath gath- ering the crop of the following season These three factors do not apply equally equal equal- ly throughout the period of relative Inactivity llO but as certainly as anyone of them Is decreased just so certainly will next years year's crop be he re reduced In practicing cellar wintering It Is unnecessary to Iea leave lea e so much honey with the bees during the time that they are Ire in the cellar and it Is not necessary peces- peces necessary sary o during that period to leave lea room for tor the i rearing earing of brood During the coldest part of ot the winter the bees need especially protection from floom cold and wind although enough good stores must be In the hive to keep them then through that period In good condition Probably a n irge part of the failure of beekeepers in practicing cellar wintering win win- comes from the fact that before before before be be- fore and after the bees are In the cellar cellar cellar cel cel- lar the Important factors of stores store and mill breeding bleeding room have not been adequately adequate adequate- I ly supplied Before the lees bees are aie put into the cellar they must have room for ceding breeding and stores in abundance and m after they are taken out these two factors must he be present In greatly increased In Increased In- In creased n abundance Necessity of Strong Colonies A As In the thc case of wintering outdoors It Is wasteful to attempt to winter weak colonies It Is difficult to set get standards of colony strength at ot this season enson but Jut it is unwise to 0 attempt to winter colonies that are not strong enough to have hav brood broo to fill three luce or four Langstroth frames two months month before the first killing frost If f the colonies in the apiary are Ire not of the he proper strength It Is wi wise e to unite until th the proper p. strength Is reached It Is of the greatest importance that e every colony colon have oe a good queen in or or- d der r that brood rearing mn may continue In n the fall and mn may then n again proceed rapidly In the spring Usually It is I hest to at least every two years cars but if good wintering Is practiced iced the colonies will come out of winter winter win win- ter er quarters so strong and will build buildup up p so rapidly In the spring that the queens will soon wear out making it It safer to elo e every year To get et the lie best results from all oung young queens should be introduced so that hat they begin to In lay about two months before the time first killing frost |