CLEANING THE CELLAR.
In even the best of cellars there will be some dead bees on the floor, and those may be cleaned up once or twice during the winter. In a cellar with proper temperature there will be few dead bees until after the middle of the winter, but the death rate increases toward the close of the winter. If the cellar is cleaned, it should be done with as little disturbance as possible. No bright light should be admitted at this time, although a moderate amount seems to do little harm until after the bees have an accumulation of feces in the intestines.
REMOVING THE BEES FOR FLIGHT DURING THE WINTER.
Some beekeepers have advocated removing the colonies toward the end of the winter for a flight on some warm day and then replacing them, on the supposition that the flight would enable the bees to stand a longer period of confinement. It is found, however, that if bees are disturbed, as by carrying them out, they begin brood-rearing almost invariably, and this does more harm than the flight does good.
DISTURBANCE DURING THE WINTER.
Work in or about the bee cellar while the bees are confined should be done with the least possible disturbance of the bees, for often a little handling or jarring of the hive causes sufficient excitement to increase the temperature of the cluster to the point where brood-rearing begins. This is true especially in late winter. It is by far the wisest plan, therefore, to stay out of the cellar during the winter, except on the few occasions when a little work, such as cleaning out, makes a visit seem needed. Care should be taken not to jar the hives or to allow light to strike the entrance. Of course, if bees are being wintered in a cellar which has the right temperature, a little disturbance does little or no harm, but there is no reason why bees should be disturbed in winter and the beekeeper should not run any risk of starting brood-rearing.
[REMOVAL OF THE BEES FROM THE CELLAR.]
TIME.
The old rule of many beekeepers is to take the bees from the cellar when the soft maples are in bloom. This is an excellent rule in localities where there are trees of this species. In general, in zone 1 the right time to take the bees out of the cellar is about the time of the spring equinox (March 21).