Produced by Tom Cosmas compiled from images made available by The Internet Archive.
FARMERS' BULLETIN 1014 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology
Show this bulletin to a neighbor. Additional copies may be obtained free from the Division of Publications, United States Department of Agriculture
WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1918
RESULTS from wintering bees in a cellar are excellent when conditions in the cellar are such as to keep the bees from wearing themselves out by excessive activity. Cellar wintering is practicable where the average outdoor temperature during the winter months is as low as 25° F. A map is given (p. 3) so that the beekeeper may know whether this method is advisable in his locality.
The cellar should be arranged so that the ceiling is below the frost line, and so that the ceiling and side walls are thoroughly protected at all points. The cellar should be kept so that the lowest temperature within the hives is at least 52° F. At this temperature there will be little need of special ventilating arrangements. There should be no condensation of moisture within the hives, and the cellar should be well drained.
Bees should be put into the cellar after a good flight in late November, or earlier in the more northern localities. They should be removed when fresh pollen and nectar are available, usually about the last of March.
Soon after the hives are placed on their summer stands, each colony should be given additional stores and room for the development of a large quantity of brood.
It is important that none of the factors of good wintering be omitted. Several tests are given in this bulletin so that the beekeeper may determine whether his cellar is a satisfactory place for wintering bees.
Cellar wintering versus outdoor wintering 3
Necessity of strong colonies in the fall 5
Maintenance of the cellar during the winter 13
Providing breeding room and stores in the spring 19
Measures of success in cellar wintering 20
CELLAR WINTERING VERSUS OUTDOOR WINTERING.
Bees in the more northern parts of the United States for many years have been placed by some of the best beekeepers in cellars or special repositories during the coldest parts of the winter. There has been a growing feeling, however, that if outdoor wintering is practicable, in most cases it gives better results, and there has been a decided change from cellar wintering to outdoor wintering within the past decade. The difficulty seems to be that the methods of cellar wintering practiced have not been satisfactory and it seems probable that if as much attention had been given, to the perfection of the methods of cellar wintering as has been given to an improvement of the methods of outdoor wintering, there would not have been as great a change to the outdoor methods as has taken place.