50 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



decided to construct a special hive with 

 glass sides, put bees therein, and see for 

 ourselves. We accordingly constructed a 

 double-walled hive with packing at front 

 and rear, and at the top, and space in the 

 hive proper to receive one comb filled with 

 stores, and wide enough to take in a fair 

 cluster of bees. Indeed, there was room 

 enough to take in two frames ; but in order 

 that we might see the bees on both sides we 

 put in only one comb. The sides of this 

 hive to permit observation could not of 

 course be packed and paneled with double- 

 walled wood sides. We used instead tlu-ee 

 thicknesses of glass spaced % inch apart, 

 making two dead-air spaces. Dr. Phillips 

 and Mr. Demuth, in their experiments, used 

 only two thicknesses and one air space; 

 but we decided to go a little further as our 

 own climate is relatively colder. 



The hive was duly installed and set on a 

 support outdoors about ten inches in front 

 of a window of the editorial sanctum. 



Every thing was going nicely until we 

 had a day of bright sunshine; and before 

 we knew it old Sol shining through the 

 glass sides made the interior of our experi- 

 mental hive about like a hot-house. The 

 cluster was immediately broken, of course, 

 and the bees busied themselves by sliding 

 up and down the glass inside of the hive, 

 trying to escape, and some flew out at the 

 entrance, notwithstanding the outside tem- 

 pjerature was down to freezing. We had. 

 not anticipated this hot-house possibility, so 

 we immediately had some wooden panels 

 made to cover the glass, one for each side. 

 Temporarily some folds of burlap were 

 tlu'own over the hive to shut out the sun. 



Several days have elapsed, and the side 

 next to the office window has the panel 

 removed except dvmng the hours when 

 bright sunshine might warm up the hive 

 through the glass. But in the few days we 

 have had for observation we have so far 

 observed exactly what Dr. Phillips and Mv. 

 Demuth have reported. When the tempera- 

 ture in the hive drops down to below 40 the 

 cluster will gradually draw up closer, and 

 the outside ring of bees between the comb 

 and glass will be very quiet, exhibiting no 

 movement but breathing, as shown by a 

 slight distension and contx'aetion of the 

 abdomen. When the temperature gets low 

 enough outside of the cluster, the inside of 

 the cluster will be honeycombed; that is to 

 say there will be holes or caAaties scattered 

 all through. Inside of these little recesses 

 there will be here and there a bee fanning 

 with its wing's. But the movement of the 

 wings in the cluster is very different from 

 the movement of the wings in front of (he 



entrance of the hive on a hot day to cause 

 currents of air to pass in and out of the 

 hive for ventilation. The wings in the clus- 

 ter assume more of a tremulous movement, 

 and apparently they move in such a way 

 as not to cause any appreciable air-current. 



Other bees will be engaged in pulling at 

 each other. Still others will exhibit the 

 same side movement of the bodies that we 

 find in ease of young bees that have just 

 come home with their load of honey or 

 pollen in summer. Throughout the inside 

 of the cluster there will be a general move- 

 ment, crawling in and out, even the queen 

 participating in the " exercise." During all 

 this time the outside ring of bees is per- 

 fectly motionless with their heads jammed 

 in close together, apparently to shut out 

 any escape of air. 



We cannot quite understand why the 

 outside bees should be sticking their heads 

 into the cluster. If they breathed through 

 the mouth, as do ordinary animals, we 

 might surmise that it was for the purpose 

 of giving their hot breath to the inside 

 temperature of the cluster. But that is not 

 the way bees breathe, but through little 

 spiracles in the abdomen or thorax. 



Another thing we cannot quite understand 

 now is whether these movements as de- 

 scribed px'oduce the same effect on 'bees 

 that they do on animals. In our case at 

 least exercise stimulates the heart and soon 

 a warm glow pervades the bod3^ In view 

 of the fact that the temperature of the 

 cluster rises when this gymnastic work be- 

 gins, it is to be presumed that the bees are 

 not greatly different from their owners. 



Later. — Dr. Phillips, to whom we sent a 

 jiroof of the above, sends the following: 



I scarcely need say that Mr. Demuth and I are 

 delighted to have you confirm our statements, which 

 may have seemed a little radical to those who had 

 not seen what we did. 



There are only one or two points to which I would 

 call attention. In the paragraph concerning the 

 position of the bees in the shell (see Bulletin No. 93, 

 page 15, first five lines) we think that the close 

 proximity of the thoraces and the interlacing of the 

 thoracic hairs are important. 



The next paragraph contains a misconception. 

 Exercise in man produces warmth by the muscular 

 activity, and the increased activity of the heart is 

 the result of this muscular activity, not the cause of 

 the warmth. The heat arises from the chemical 

 changes in the muscles. This is true in both man 

 and J5ees, while in man the heat-regulatory functions 

 prevent a drop in temperature and bees have no such 

 regulation. 



Going back to the location of your thermometer, 

 you are not measuring the temperature of the air 

 immediately surrounding the bees. In Bulletin No. 

 93, page 15, top of page, see what we say concern- 

 ing variation within the hive. Because of this vari- 

 ation your statement of the reaction when the tem- 

 perature of the hive drops to below 40 degrees F. is 

 somewhat misleading. The clustering comes, ac- 

 cording to our observations, when the bees them- 

 selves and the air immodiatchj surrounding them 

 reaches 57 degrees F. The temperature at the bot- 

 tom board may be considerably lower. 



E. F. Phillips, 

 In Charge Bee Culture Observations. 



