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ared 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.
It is important that a place be chosen where the bees will be protected from cold winds in the spring after they are taken from the cellar and again in the fall before they are taken to the cellar. A grove of trees or an adjacent hill usually offers the best protection, or it is possible to make an artificial windbreak such as a high fence. A natural windbreak usually is better, for it is more extensive in most cases. Too much reliance should not be placed in buildings, for often they merely divert the wind slightly and may make conditions worse. A fence made of close boards usually is unsatisfactory, for it causes whirls.
DISTANCE OF THE APIARY FROM THE CELLAR.
To carry colonies of bees a long distance from the apiary to the cellar is not an easy task, even though the hives be light at that time of the year. It is best, therefore, that the apiary be located not more than 50 yards from the cellar, and even this distance is objectionable. If a special cellar is built for the bees, the apiary should be so located that the cellar may be built immediately adjacent. If the bees are to be wintered in the cellar under the beekeeper's residence, the apiary should be located as near as possible to the cellar door.
THE BEE CELLAR.
In order that the beekeeper may have reason to expect success in cellar wintering, it is imperative that he give careful consideration to the construction of the bee cellar. There has been a tendency among beekeepers greatly to overestimate the value of their own cellars, and especially to assume that the conditions which they are able to get in their cellars are exactly correct.
CELLAR UNDER THE RESIDENCE.
Some of the best bee cellars are those under the residences of beekeepers, and in general such a cellar is better than one built especially for cellar wintering. This is because the temperature of such a cellar usually is quite a little higher than that in a specially constructed repository. The best results in cellar wintering have been obtained in cellars under residences which are heated by furnaces, thus having a higher cellar temperature. In such a cellar provision must be made for partitioning off a space where the bees will be located so that there is no light or other disturbing factor during the time of their confinement. Since a cellar temperature about 50? F. is desirable, it is well to choose a part of the cellar through which some of the furnace pipes run, and if this results in too high a temperature these pipes may be insulated somewhat. It is best to choose a part of the cellar where there are no windows and where the outside walls are thoroughly protected to the top, either by a bank of soil or in some other fashion. This will result in a more equable temperature than is possible in a cellar exposed to sudden changes of temperature on the outside walls, for even a stone wall 18 inches thick will allow a considerable amount of heat to escape. In a cellar under a residence there will be abundant ventilation without any special provision being made for this. A test of the value of such a cellar is the even temperature which may be obtained, as will be discussed later.
SPECIAL WINTER REPOSITORY.
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