Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
32
among bee-keepers. The temperature of the bee-cluster during
winter is sometimes just as high as the temperature of the hive in
summer according to the findings of PmuırLırs and Demura (see
Herıng 24). Outside the cluster it may not be higher than the
temperature of the air. However, if bees are wintered in hives
having double walls well packed, with warm cushions on top etc.
considerable quantities of heat are retained in the hive. As to the
moisture that tends to collect in the hive DEHLINGER (6) quite correctly
remarks that most of it arises from the open brood in the nest.
The removal of this moisture would do harm to the brood as some
moisture is necessary for its development. Precautions, however,
should be taken to remove the moisture that collects in the zone
where the warm and moist air from the bee-cluster meets the in-
coming cold air. The cold side walls are apparently the places
where the moisture collects and where consequently moulds get a
start. If dysentery has weakened the colony during the winter or
spring paralysis often appears later on due to the abundance of
moisture which follows upon the voiding of the excrements in the
hive etc., allowing masses of moulds to flourish on the combs and
frames.
The cardinal point in combatting the growth of moulds in the
bee-hive is proper ventilation, and the problem of keeping out the
moulds depends, therefore, largely upon the construction of the hive,
more particularly on the construction of the side walls. A com-
bination of wood and straw is advocated by Gerstung (11), and
further informations on the subject can be found in Root and Roor
(21). Combs near the entrance of the hive are very seldom mouldy
because of better ventilation here while combs back of the winter
nest and close to the bottom board very often are covered with
moulds. Holes made in the walls, which allow the moisture to
escape, do not seem to harm the bees even if the winter is severe.
While for instance during rainy winters the appearance and
development of moulds becomes almost inevitable even in good
hives careful treatment under normal conditions would probably
wholly exclude growth of moulds within the hive. Late feeding
with thin sugar syrup must be avoided since this practice always
leads to an accumulation of moisture in the hive. Furthermore, ’
honey stored late in the fall in the outer combs (those hanging
outside of the winter nest proper) and remaining unsealed takes up
moisture and overflows the combs, which towards spring become
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
