MEASURES OF SUCCESS IN WINTERING.

It is often difficult for a beekeeper to know whether he is wintering his bees as well as he should, for he may not have been able to learn from reading or visiting other apiaries how well colonies may be brought through the winter. The writers therefore have attempted to give here a few measures which the beekeeper may apply to his apiary, that he may be able to decide whether his methods of wintering should be improved.

1. When bees are adequately packed and protected from the wind, they are able to push out the dead bees as they die in winter. There should never be an accumulation of dead bees on the bottom board.

2. A colony of full strength will have 12 Langstroth frames filled with brood by the time that the bees should be unpacked. The bees should not be taken from their cases until it is necessary to handle them, and if two hive bodies have been given each colony, unpacking may be deferred until time for the control of swarming or until the new honey is coming in freely. Sometimes it even happens that colonies need a third hive as a swarm prevention measure before it is time to remove the packing, in which case it can be given and the packing replaced, at least around the sides of the third hive body. Space for this is indicated in the dimensions given on page 9.

3. A colony is not of proper strength for winter unless it has between three and four frames of brood two months before the time for putting on packing. Usually this will be six weeks before brood-rearing ceases. If there is less brood at that time it indicates either that the queen is not good or that the colony has been weakened from some other cause. If taken in time this condition may be remedied by adding brood or honey or by uniting. It is extravagant to attempt to winter weak colonies.

4. If a thermometer is inserted into the hive through the auger hole entrance at the time of the coldest weather in winter it should show a temperature above the freezing point. At no time should the temperature of any part of the hive go below freezing, and the point just within the entrance is the most convenient one at which to take the temperature readings. The lowest temperature obviously will be at this point.