CHAPTER XVII.WINTERING BEES.
This is a subject, of course, of paramount importance to the apiarist, as this is the rock on which some of even the most successful have recently split. Yet I come fearlessly to consider this question, as from all the multitude of disasters I see no occasion for discouragement. If the problem of successful wintering has not been solved already, it surely will be, and that speedily. So important an interest was never yet vanquished by misfortune, and there is no reason to think that history is now going to be reversed. Even the worst aspect of the case—in favor of which I think, though in opposition to such excellent apiarists as Marvin, Heddon, etc., that there is no proof, and but few suggestions even—that these calamities are the effects of an epidemic, would be all powerless to dishearten men trained to reason from effect to cause. Even an epidemic—which would by no means skip by the largest, finest apiaries, owned and controlled by the wisest, most careful, and most thoughtful, as has been the case in the late "winters of our discontent," nor only choose winters of excessive cold, or following great drouth and absence of honey secretion in which to work its havoc—would surely yield to man's invention.
Epidemic, then, being set aside as no factor in the solution, to what shall we ascribe such wide-spread disasters? I fully believe, and to no branch of this subject have I given more thought, study, and observation, that all the losses may be traced either to unwholesome food, failure in late breeding of the previous year, extremes of temperature, or to protracted cold with excessive dampness. I know from actual and wide-spread observation, that the severe loss of 1870 and1871 was attended in this part of Michigan with unsuitable honey in the hive. The previous autumn was unprecedentedly dry. Flowers were rare, and storing was largely from insect secretion, and consequently the stores were unwholesome. I tasted of honey from many hives only to find it most nauseating. I fully believe that had the honey been thoroughly extracted the previous autumn, and the bees fed good honey or sugar, no loss would have been experienced. At least it is significant that all who did so, escaped, even where their neighbors all failed. Nor less so the fact that when I discovered eight of my twelve colonies dead, and four more just alive, I cleaned the remaining ones all out, and to one no worse nor better than the others I gave good capped honey stored early the previous summer, while the others were left with their old stores, that one lived and gave the best record I have ever known, the succeeding season, while all the others died.
Again, suppose that after the basswood season in July, there is no storing of honey, either from want of space, or from lack of bloom. In this case brood-rearing ceases. Yet if the weather is dry and warm, as of course it will be in August and September, the bees continue to wander about, death comes apace, and by autumn the bees are reduced in numbers, old in days, and illy prepared to brave the winter and perform the duties of spring. I fully believe that if all the colonies of our State and country had been kept breeding by proper use of the extractor, and feeding, even till into October, we should have had a different record, especially as to spring dwindling, and consequent death. In the autumn of 1872 I kept my bees breeding till the first of October. The following winter I had no loss, while my neighbors lost all of their bees.
Extremes of heat and cold are also detrimental to the bees. If the temperature of the hive becomes too high the bees become restless, fat more than they ought, and if confined to their hives are distended with their fœces, become diseased, besmear their comb and hives, and die. If when they become thus disturbed, they could have a purifying flight, all would be well.
Again, if the temperature becomes extremely low, the bees to keep up the animal heat must take more food; they are uneasy,exhale much moisture, which may settle and freeze on the outer combs about the cluster, preventing the bees from getting the needed food, and thus in this case both dysentery and starvation confront the bees. That able and far-seeing apiarist the lamented M. Quinby, was one of the first to discover this fact; and here as elsewhere gave advice that if heeded, would have saved great loss and sore disappointment.
I have little doubt, in fact I know from actual investigation, that in the past severe winters, those bees which under confinement have been subject to severe extremes, are the ones that have invariably perished. Had the bees been kept in a uniform temperature ranging from 35° to 45° F., the record would have been materially changed.
Excessive moisture, too, especially in cases of protracted cold, is always to be avoided. Bees, like all other animals, are constantly giving off moisture, which of course will be accelerated if the bees become disturbed, and are thus led to consume more food. This moisture not only acts as explained above, but also induces fungous growths. The mouldy comb is not wholesome, though it may never cause death. Hence another necessity of sufficient warmth to drive this moisture from the hive and some means to absorb it without opening the hive above and permitting a current, which will disturb the bees, and cause the greater consumption of honey.
To winter safely, then, demands that the bees have thirty pounds by weight not guess—I have known three cases when guessing meant starvation—of good capped honey (coffee A sugar is just as good). If desired this may be fed as previously explained, which should be done so early that all will be capped during the warm days of October. Let us be wary how we trust even crystallized glucose. It might be safe during a warm winter, when the bees would have frequent flights, yet prove disastrous in a cold winter. Let us use it cautiously till its merits are assured. I prefer, too, that some of the comb in the centre of the hive has empty cells, to give a better chance to cluster, and that all the combs have a small hole through the centre, that the bees may pass freely through. This hole may simply be cut with a knife, or a tintube the size of one's finger may be driven through the comb, and left in if desired, in which case the comb should be pushed out of the tube, and the tube be no longer than the comb is thick. This perforatory work I always do early in October, when I extract all uncapped honey, take out all frames after I have given them the 30 lbs.,by weight, of honey, confine the space with a division-board, cover with the quilt and chaff, and then leave undisturbed till the cold of November calls for further care.
Keep the bees breeding till the first of October. Except in years of excessive drouth, this will occur in many parts of Michigan without extra care. Failure may result from the presence of worthless queens. Any queens which seem not to be prolific should be superseded whenever the fact becomes evident.I regard this as most important.Few know how much is lost by tolerating feeble, impotent queens in the apiary, whose ability can only keep the colonies alive. Never keep such queens about. Here, then, is another reason for always keeping extra queens on hand. Even with excellent queens, a failure in the honey yield may cause breeding to cease. In such cases, we have only to feed as directed under the head of feeding.
We ought also to provide against extremes of temperature. It is desirable to keep the temperature between 35° and 50° F. through the entire winter, from November to April. If no cellar or house is at hand, this maybe accomplished as follows: Some pleasant dry day in late October or early November, raise the stand and place straw beneath; then surround the hive with a box a foot outside the hive, with movable top and open on the east; or else have a long wooden tube, opposite the entrance, to permit flight. This tube should be six or eight inches square, to permit easy examination in winter. The same end may be gained by driving stakes and putting boards around. When we crowd between the box and the hive either straw, chaff, or shavings. After placing a good thickness of straw above thehive, lay on the cover of the box, or cover with boards. This preserves against changes of temperature during the winter, and also permits the bees to fly if it becomes necessary from a protracted period of warm winter weather. I have thus kept all my bees safely during two of the disastrous winters.
As there is at present no plan of wintering, which promises to serve so well for all our apiarists, in view of its cheapness, ease, convenience, and universal efficiency, I will describe in detail the box now in use at the College, which costs only one dollar per hive, and which is convenient to store away in summer.
Fig. 101.
Fig. 101.
The sides of this (Fig, 101,a, a), facing east and west are three and a half feet long, two feet high on the south end, and two and a half feet on the north. They are in one piece, which is secured by nailing the boards which form them to cleats, which are one inch from the ends. The north end(Fig, 101,b) is three feet by two and a half feet, the south (Fig. 101,b), three feet by two, and made the same as are the sides. The slanting top of the sides (Fig. 101,a, a) is made by using for the upper board, the strip formed by sawing diagonally from corner to corner a board six inches wide and three feet long. The cover (Fig. 101,g), which is removed in the figure, is large enough to cover the top and project one inch at both ends. It should be battened, and held in one piece by cleats (Fig. 101,h) four inches wide, nailed on to the ends. These will drop over the ends of the box, and thus hold the cover in place, and prevent rain and snow from driving in. When in place this slanting cover permits the rain to run off easily, and will dry quickly after a storm. By a single nail at each corner the four sides may be tacked together about the hives, when they can be packed in with straw (Fig. 101), which should be carefully done if the day is cold, so as not to disquiet the bees. At the centre and bottom of the east side (Fig. 101,c), cut out a square eight inches each way, and between this and the hive place a bottomless tube (the top of this tube is represented as removed in figure to show entrance to hive), before putting around the straw and adding the cover. This box should be put in place before the bleak cold days of November, and retained in position till the stormy winds of April are passed by. This permits the bees to fly when very warm weather comes in winter or spring, and requires no attention from the apiarist. By placing two or three hives close together in autumn—yet never move the colonies more than three or four feetat any one time, as such removals involve the loss of many bees—one box may be made to cover all, and at less expense. Late in April these may be removed and packed away, and the straw carried away, or removed a short distance and burned.
Messrs. Townley, Butler, Root, and others, prefer chaff hives, which are simply double-walled hives, with the four or five inch chambers filled with chaff. The objection to these I take to be: First, Danger that so limited a space would not answer in severe seasons; Second, That such cumbroushives would be inconvenient to handle in summer; and, Third, A matter of expense. That they would in part supply the place of shade, is, perhaps, in their favor, while Mr. A. I. Root thinks they are not expensive.
With large apiaries the above method is expensive, and specialists may prefer a cellar or special depository, which I think are quite as safe, though they demand attention and perhaps labor in winter. After my experience in the winter of 1874 and 1875, losing all my bees by keeping them in a house with double walls filled in with sawdust, in which the thermometer indicated a temperature below zero for several weeks, in which time my strongest colonies literally starved to death in the manner already described, I hesitate to recommend a house above ground for Michigan, though with very numerous colonies it might do. Such a house must, if it answer the purpose, keep an equable temperature, at least 3° and not more than 10° above freezing, be perfectly dark, and ventilated with tubes above and below, so arranged as to be closed or opened at pleasure, and not admit a ray of light.
A cellar in which we are sure of our ability to control the temperature, needs to be also dry, dark, and quiet, and ventilated as described above. As already stated, the ventilator to bring air may well be made of tile, and pass through the earth for some feet and then open at the bottom of the cellar. If possible, the ventilator that carries the foul air off should be connected with a stove pipe in a room above, with its lower end reaching to the bottom of the cellar. The College apiary cellar is grouted throughout, which makes it more dry and neat. Of course it should be thoroughly drained.
The colonies should be put into the depository when the hives are dry,before cold weather, and should remain till April; though in January and March, if there are days that are warm, they should be taken out and the bees permitted to fly, though not unless they seem uneasy and soil the entrance to their hives.Alwayswhen taken out they should be placed on their old stands, so that no bees may be lost. Towards night, when all are quiet, return them to the cellar. I would not remove bees till towardsnight, as it is better that they have a good flight, and then become quiet. When moved out it isverydesirable to brush away all dead bees which is an argument in favor of a movable bottom-board. In moving the hives, great care should be exercised not to jar them. It were better if the bees should not know that they were being moved at all.
That the moisture may be absorbed, I cover the bees with a quilt, made of coarse factory cloth, enclosing a layer of cotton batting. Above this I fill in with straw which is packed in so closely that the cover may be removed without the straw falling out. If desirable the straw may be cut—or chaff may be used—and may be confined in a bag made of factory, so that it resembles a pillow. I now use these and like them. This is not only an excellent absorbent, but preserves the heat, and may well remain, till the following June.
I have found it advantageous, when preparing my bees for winter, in October, to contract the chamber by use of a division board. This is very desirable if wintered out doors, and with frames a foot square is very easily accomplished. By use of eight frames the space (one cubic foot) is very compact, and serves to economize the heat, not only in winter, but in spring. By thus using a division board with only three frames, I have been very successful in wintering nuclei. We have only to guard against low temperature.
Perhaps I ought to say that all colonies should be strong in autumn; but I have said before, never have weak colonies. Yet for fear some have been negligent. I remark that weak colonies should be united in preparing for winter. To do this, approximate the colonies each day four or five feet till they are side by side. Now remove the poorest queen, then smoke thoroughly, sprinkle both colonies with sweetened water scented with essence of peppermint, putting a sufficient number of the best frames and all the bees into one of the hives, and then set this midway between the position of the hives at the commencement of the uniting. The bees will unite peaceably, and make a strong colony. Uniting colonies may pay at other seasons. It may seem rash to some, yet I fully believe that if the above suggestions are carried out in full, I may guarantee successful wintering. But if we do lose our bees—withall our hives, combs and honey, we can buy colonies in the spring, with a perfect certainty of making 200 or 300 per cent, on our investment. Even with the worst condition of things, we are still ahead, in way of profit, of most other vocations.
Another way to winter safely and very economically, is to bury the bees. If this is practiced the ground should either be sandy orwell drained. If we can choose a side-hill it should be done. Beneath the hives and around them, straw should be placed. I should advise leaving the entrance well open, yet secure against mice.The hives should all be placed beneath the surfacelevel of the earth, then form a mound above them sufficient to preserve against extreme warmth or cold. A trench about the mound to carry the water off quickly is desirable. In this arrangement the ground acts as a moderator. Five colonies thus treated the past winter, (1877-8) lost all told less than one-half gill of bees. As this method has not been so long tried, as the others, I would suggest caution. Try it with a few colonies, till you are assured as to the best arrangement, and of its efficacy. I am inclined to think that it is next to a good snow-bank, as a winter repository.
As already suggested, this is not to be feared if we keep our bees breeding till late autumn. It may be further prevented by forbidding late autumn flights, frequent flights in winter, when the weather is warm, and too early flying in spring. These may all be curtailed or prevented by the packing system as described above, as thus prepared the bees will not feel the warmth, and so will remain quiet in the hive. Nine colonies which I have packed have been remarkably quiet, and are in excellent condition this, February 25th, while two others unpacked have flown day after day, much, I fear, to their injury. I would leave bees in the packing till near May, and in the cellar or ground, till early flowers bloom, that we may secure against too rapid demise of bees in spring.