Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-29
BEE pYsENTERY
Frequently the Result Of insufficient
Protection of Hives During the
Winter Months.

fFOkSNklOI o. I1tNCS OAl itsS AHS
Winter Months.
That the disease known 10 heekcep-
ers a. dysenlery is very frequently
an Indirect result OF insufficient pro
lection OF The hives during the winter
is one o. the conclusions " a Govern.
m,nt SHADY OF the outdoor wintering
OF bees which has been published b
tho department. as Farmers Bulletin
No. 6s5. o..
AS soon as the temperature OF the
air Immediately surrounding the bees
falls below 81 degrees F. the bees
form 4 cluster, those IN the center gen
Grating heat by muscular activity
while on the outside crowd together
10 prevent its escape. The lower the
temperature falls the more heat the
bees in the interior generate. tbs
excessive activity results in a greatly
increased consumption of stores, which
IN turn, especially if the stores con
tain a large proportion of indigesti-
bic matter leads 10 an accumulation
Of feces Normally the bee discharges
its feces only when in flight. but II
the weather is too severe for this the
accumulation is undUly great and the
bees in the hive may be unable 10 re-
tain them. This condition familiar TO
all beekeepers is usually described as
dysentery. Despite the fact that II is
recognized as a serious menace 10 the
welfare OF the colony. few beekeepers
have recognized the possibility OF al
leyiating the condition by providing
adequate insulation for the hive. Too
much insulation. says the bulletin al
ready mentioned is an mpossibility
Not enough will indirectly tend TO pro
duce dysentery for the reasons ALREADY
de- cribed, but even if this menace Is
avoided the additional heat produc
ton required will exhaust the vitality
of the bees by compelling them TO do
an excessive amount of work during
the winter and thus unfit them for the
task of brood rearing in the spring.
III addition TO inadequate insulation
and consequent low temperatures in
The hive, The presence of honeydew
honey or other poor stores is respon-
aible for most cases of bee dysentery.
For this reason such honey may be
removed whenever il is present in the
fall and either honey or a thick sugar
strip substituted. If strip is fed, ii
ha t,nu ia rt-fth 70 /
of sugar and one part of water by
volume. with one ounce Of tartaTic
acid added for each forty TO sixty
pounds of sugar while the strip Is be
ing heated to the boiling point. If
there is any question as 10 the quai-
ity OF the stores, about 10 pounds Of
strip may be fed TO the bees and will
be stored by them Immediately above
the cluster. If this is given in addi,
tion TO their other stores at the time
of packing hives for the winter, the
bees will feed upon this first. and no
accumulation Of feces will occur while
he sugar strip alone is being consunl.
ed.
The quality of the stores should be
looked after as well as the quality.
Much winter loss is due to starvation
This is especially true when the hives
are so inadequateiy protected that the
bees are compelled to produce great
amount of heat. AS has already been
stated, this leads to proportionate
increase in the consumption Of stores.
The beekeeper should aim to save
his bees rather than his stores and
should provide good food for his col
onies as IaYishly as Insulation for his
hives.