[NECESSITY OF STRONG COLONIES IN THE FALL.]
As in the case of wintering outdoors, it is wasteful to attempt to winter weak colonies. It is difficult to set standards of colony strength at this season, but it is unwise to attempt to winter colonies that are not strong enough to have brood sufficient to fill three or four Langstroth frames two months before the first killing frost. If the colonies in the apiary are not of the proper strength, it is wise to unite until the proper strength is reached. Any uniting should be done before the close of brood-rearing.
It is of the greatest importance that every colony have a good queen in order that brood-rearing may continue in the fall and may then again proceed rapidly in the spring. Usually it is best to requeen at least every two years, but if good wintering is practiced the colonies will come out of winter quarters so strong and will build up so rapidly in the spring that the queens will soon wear out, making it safer to requeen every year. To get the best results from requeening, all young queens should be introduced so that they begin to lay about two months before the first killing frost.
[WINTER STORES.]
The stores given to the bees from the end of one season to the beginning of the next are of the first importance. It is necessary to consider both the quality and the quantity of these stores.
QUALITY OF STORES.
As has been stated, it is fortunate that in both of the zones where cellar wintering is or might be practiced the natural stores usually are good. Honeys such as those from white and alsike clovers, sweet clover, alfalfa, wild raspberry, buckwheat, and willowherb are fine stores for winter, while honeys from basswood, heartsease (smart-weed), asters, goldenrod, and most of the other fall flowers are less desirable. It is especially important during the period when the bees are in the cellar that the stores shall be of the very finest quality, and it is therefore the practice of many good beekeepers to feed each colony 5 pounds or more of sirup made of granulated sugar Into in the fall, after all brood-rearing has ceased. This insures that the bees will have for their use, during the period of confinement in the cellar, stores which will not bring about the condition known as dysentery. In general it may be stated that honeys from mixed sources and dark honeys, except buckwheat, are to be avoided. Honeydew honeys are highly injurious and in all cases where such stores are present granulated sugar sirup should be fed.