Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 275, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1917 — GREAT LOSS OF BEE COLONIES IN WINTER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREAT LOSS OF BEE COLONIES IN WINTER

(Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) The beekeepers of the United States lose at least one-tenth of their colonies of bees every winter. This Is a minimum loss, which Is frequently Increased to one-half and sometimes more in certain sections. This decrease Is largely due to carelessness or to lack of knowledge, and it is entirely practical to reduce it to less than one per cent, the small loss covering various accidents which cannot be foreseen. An Industry which can survive in the face of such a decrease must have great possibilities for commercial advancement when the loss is properly reduced. ' - The causes of the death of individual bees or of a colony of bees in winter, barring unusual accidents, are only two in number: (1) Inadequate stores and (2) excessive heat production. The numerous factors usually given in the literature on the subject as entirely distinct fall into these two classes, except for some that are usually given which the authors do not believe to be operative. Excessive Heat Generation. It was first shown by specialists of the United States department of agriculture that at hive*temperatures between 57 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit, a_ normal broodless colony of bees does not form a cluster, but the bees remain Inactive on the combs. When the temperature of the air Immediately surrounding the bees (not the temperature of the air outside the hive) falls to 57 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, they form a 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 rapidly acquires a temperature considerably higher than that of the air about the bees before clustering was necessary, often going to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in normal colonies and higher in abnormal ones. The number of bees engaged in heat production increases ns the outer temperature falls and the Insulating, zone is consequently decreased 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 environment such that the temperature of the air immediately surrounding them is 57 degrees Fahrenheit, or slightly above, they are saved much unnecessary and unprofitable 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 a cellar under the best conditions the results are excellent, but it is not proposed to discuss this more -complicated phase of the subject here. If wintered outside in a packing case with abundant insulation, any heat generated escapes slowly and the temperature of the ale in the hfve rarely falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit If Infrequently protect-, ed, the temperature of the hive cannot be kept so high and the bees must generate much more heat. In singlewalled hives it is common for the temperature of the air around the ('luster to fall to freezing or lower, In which event the Sees generate an excessive amount of heat and perhaps die when they are no longer capable of the necessary muscular activity. The necessity of packing is thus made clear, and in any locality in which.the outer temperature often falls to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or below, it is desirable to protect bees to conserve their vitality. If the temperature should fall to 40 degrees Fahrenheit only a few times during the winter, this would not be serious enough to make insulation iiecessary. Accumulation .of Feces. Heat generation causes increased consumption of, stores; this in turn causes an accumulation of feces within tlje bees, which is more rapid if the stores contain a high percentage of indigestible materials, and the presence of feces causes Increased activity, often resulting in the death from excessive heat generation. Beekeepers call this condition dysentery if the accumulation is so excessive that the bees are unable to retain the feces. Dysentery' causes the death of bees in winter, so far as has been seen, solely by undue activity and excessive heat production. ' This detrimental effect is reduced by good stores, but obviously the proper method is to preven£jm unnecessary accumulation of feces by preventing a heavy consump-

tion of stores, chiefly by providing a sufficiently high surrounding temperature. i In mild climates, in which there are frequent days when bees can fly and rid themselves of Teces. the injurious effects of poor stores are less notice-, able, because the feces do not accumulate sufficiently to cause abnormal activity. The accumulation of feces is to be considered as an irritant, causing responses similar to disturbance by jarring or exposure to light. Proper Insulation, The exact method of packing is not especially important, provided enough insulation is given on all sides. Colonies may be packed singly in any sort of box, or they may be packed in groups of four. Some beekeepers arrange colonies in long rows and apply insulation to the whole row. The placing of several hives in contact has the advantage that the colonies insulate bne another. If arranged in groups of four, two facing easf and two west, they may be left on the ‘same stand throughout the year and are readily manipulated during summer. If in long rows close together, summer manipulations are Impeded, unless the hives are moved after the insulation is removed. Placing colonies in -long rows is therefore not advisable. Whatever type of outer case is used, It should be tight, to prevent rain and snow from wetting the insulating material. If the bees do not have sufficient stores, they may be given combs of honey, but these should always be given before cold weather, so that a proper cluster space may be formed by the moving of honey, since bees always cluster in empty cells of the comb adjacent to stores. Feed Sugar Sirup. If honey in combs is not available, the bees may be fed extracted honey, hut the usual practice Is to feed a thick sugar sirup made of two or two and one-half parts of sugar to one part of water by volume?" To this sirup one ounce of tartaric acid should be added for each 40 to 60 pounds of sugar while the sirup is being heated to the boiling point to dissolve the sugar crystals. . The sirup should be boiled 15 minutes. The acid helps to Invert the cane sugar, thus retarding its granulation In the comb. If there is any question as to the quality of the stores, it is a good practice to feed ten pounds of sirup at the time of packing, in addition to the stores provided earlier, this being stored Immediately above the cluster. It is thus used first, and an accumulation of feces does not occur so long as the bees use only the sugar sirup. There is, however, no better food in winter than a good quality of honey. As was stated earlier, honey-dew honey causes a rapid accumulation of feces, resulting in dysentel*y. If this is present In the fall, it should be removed and better stores given. Some fall honeys are similarly injurious, but their injurious effects may be reduced by feeding sirup at the time of packing.

ORCHARD IS IDEAL PLACE FOR BEE COLONIES.