Middletown transcript., 1917-11-17
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)

| ny the SldleS bcpeiIt
ment of Agriculture.)
The beekeepers of the Unite
States lose at least One-tenth of thei
colonies of bees every winter. Thi
is minimum loss, which is frequent
| ~ increased to one-half and sometimes
more in certain sections. This de
crease is largely due to carelessness Of
to lack of knowledge, and it is entire
ly practical to reduce it to less thar
one per cent, the small loss covering
various accidents which cannot be fore
seen. An industry which can survive
in the face of such a decrease mus
have great possibilities for CONNER
cial advancement when the loss i:
properly reduced.
The causes of the death Of individ
ual bees or Of colony of bees in win
ter, Earring unusual accidents, are only
two( n number: (I Inadequate stores
and (2) excessive heat production
Th9 numerous factors usually given
In the literature on the subject as en-.
tirely distinct fall into these two
classes, except for some that are usu-
ally given which the authors do not be-
iieve to be operative.
Excessive Heat Generation.
Tt was first shown by specialists of
tile United States department of agri-
culture that at hive temperatures be-
tween 81 and SO degrees Fahrenheit. a
normal broodless colony of bees does
not form q cluster, but the bees re-
main inactive on the combs. When the
temperature of the air Immediately
surrounding the bees (not the tenn
perature of the air outside the hive)
falls to 81 degrees Fahrenheit or low
er, they form cluster and those in
the center begin to generate heat by
muscular activity, while those in the
outer portion serve as insulators by
crowding close together, usually with
their heads toward the center of the
cluster. The innermost portion rapid
ly acquires a temperature consider
ehly higher than that of the air about
the bees before clustering was neces-
sary, often going to 80 degrees Fab
renheit in normal colonies and higher
in abnormal ones. The number Of bees
engaged in heat production increases
as the outer temperature falls and the
insulating zone is consequently de-
creased in thickness but becomes more
compact The entire cluster becomes
smaller as the outer temperature falls.
: Necessity of Packing.
If bees can be kept in an environ
ment such that the temperature of the
air Immediately surrounding them is
81 degrees Fahrenheit, or slightly
above, they are saved much unneces-
sary and improbable labor. To the
theoretical objection that bees need
exercise, it is necessary only to state
that the authors have so wintered bees
in a cellar as well as outdoors with
wonderfully successful results. If bees
are kept in q cellar under the best
the results are excellent,
but it is not proposed to discuss this
more complicated phase of the sub
ject here. e wintered outside in
packing case with abundant insula-
ton, any heat generated escapes slow
ly and the temperature of the air in
the hive rarely falls below 55 degrees
Fahrenheit. If infrequently protect
ed, the temperature Of the hive can
not be kept so high and the bees must
generate much more heat. In single
walled hives it is common for the tenn
perature Of the air around the cluster
to fall to freezing or lower, in which
event the bees generate an excessive
amount of heat and perhaps die when
they are no longer capable of the
necessary muscular activity. The ne
cessity of packing is thus made clear,
and in any locality in which the outer
often falls to 40 degrees
Fahrenheit, or below, it is desir-
able to protect bees to conserve
their vitality. If the temperature
MOULD fall to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
only a few times during the winter,
this would not be serious enough to
make insulation necessary.
Accumulation of Feces.
Heat generation causes increased |
Of stores; this in turn
,auses an accumulation of feces, with
n the bees, which is more rapid if the |
stores contain a high percentage of |
ndigestible materials, and the pres |
ence of feces causes increased activ- |
ty, often resulting in the death from !
heat generation. Beekeep-
,rs call this condition dysentery if the
is so excessive that the
,ees are unable to retain the feces. I
0ysentery causes the death of bees
n winter, so far as has been seen,
solely by undue activity and excessive
leat production. This detrimental eff
ect is reduced by good stores, but OBJ
7iously the proper method is to pre-
-ent an unnecessary accumulation of