Moore’s Hill, Ind., March 14, 1881.
=Bees in the Cellar 135 Days.=—I carried 22 colonies of bees out for
a flight on March 8. This is the first suitable day for bees to fly
there has been here since they were put in the cellar on the last of
Oct. They came through the 4½ months’ confinement very well, except
2 or 3 third-rate colonies that had more hive room than they could well
keep warm through this cold winter, and now they seem to be somewhat
reduced in numbers. The day was rather cold, snow did not soften in
the shade but the sun shone brightly, “the winds were asleep,” and the
bees seemed to enjoy the fray, but left a good number of the slain on
untrodden snow. They were returned to the cellar at night and will be
supplied with water in their hives, hoping to secure the starting of a
good cluster of brood before they are placed on their summer stands,
about the 1st of May. I usually keep them in confinement without a
flight for 5 or 6 months, with good results, but in 1879 brood rearing
ceased about the 1st of Sept.; the hives were destitute of brood when
carried out, April 18, and although the hives filled rapidly with
brood, before it began to hatch nearly all the old bees were dead,
giving me the most disastrous case of spring dwindling that I have
known in an experience of 25 years. I hope to avoid such losses in the
future.