Whatever method be followed in wintering, certain conditions regarding
the colony itself are plainly essential: First, it should have a good
queen; second, a fair-sized cluster of healthy bees, neither too old
nor too young; third, a plentiful supply of good food. The first of
these conditions may be counted as fulfilled if the queen at the head
of the colony is not more than two years old, is still active, and
has always kept her colony populous; yet a younger queen--even one
of the current season's rearing, and thus but a few weeks or months
old--is if raised under favorable conditions, much to be preferred.
The second point is met if brood rearing has been continued without
serious interruption during the latter part of the summer and the
cluster of bees occupies, on a cool day in autumn, six to eight or more
spaces between the combs, or forms a compact cluster 8 or 10 inches
in diameter. Young bees, if not weir protected by older ones, succumb
readily to the cold, while quite old bees die early in the spring,
and others, which emerged late in the summer or autumn preceding, are
needed to replace them. The third essential--good food--is secured if
the hive is liberally supplied with well-ripened honey from any source
whatever, or with fairly thick sirup, made from white cane sugar,
which was fed early enough to enable the bees to seal it over before
they ceased flying. The sirup is prepared by dissolving 3 pounds of
granulated sugar in 1 quart of boiling water and adding to this 1 pound
of pure extracted honey. Twenty to 26 pounds for outdoor wintering
in the South, up to 30 or 40 pounds in the North, when wintered
outside with but slight protection--or, if wintered indoors, about
20 pounds--may be considered a fair supply of winter food. A smaller
amount should not be trusted except in case much greater protection be
furnished against the effects of severe weather than is usually given.
A greater amount of stores will do no harm if properly arranged over
and about the center of the cluster, or, in case the combs are narrow,
wholly above the cluster. In many instances it will be a benefit by
equalizing in a measure the temperature in the hive, as well as by
giving to the bees greater confidence in extending the brood nest in
early spring.