188 



.H^^^^s^=^( 



June, 1914. 



American Hee Journal 



Production ; Pollination Studies," will 

 be of interest to those of our readers 

 who are scientifically inclined on this 

 subject. 



Temperature of the Clu.ster in 

 Winter 



Bulletin No. 93, of the Department 

 of Agriculture upon the above subject, 

 is a report of special studies made by 

 our well-known and able friend, Dr. E. 

 F. Phillips, in charge of bee-culture 

 investigations, and his assistant, Mr. 

 Geo. S. Demuth. The wintering prob- 

 lem was their aim, both indoors and 

 outdoors. A number of colonies were 

 studied and kept under close control 

 with thermometers within the cluster, 

 and in different parts of the hive. 

 Electrical thermometers were used, by 

 means of which readings could be made 

 without approaching tlie hives, thus 

 avoiding disturbing the bees. 



The bulletin contains 1(5 pages, and 

 may be had from the Department of 

 Agriculture in the usual way. We will 

 make a few quotations from it. 



It was formerly admitted, witliout 

 proof, that the temperature of the clus- 

 ter in the hive, was at all times about 

 that of human blood. But it appears 

 that it may be much lower. The bulle- 

 tin says : 



"When a colony is without brood, if 

 the bees do not fly and are not dis- 

 turbed, and if the temperature does not 

 go too high, the bees generate practi- 

 cally no heat until the coolest point 

 among the bees reaches a temperature 

 of about 57 degrees F. At tempera- 

 tures above 57 degrees a compact clus- 

 ter is not formed, but the bees are 

 widely distributed over the combs. At 

 the lower critical temperature, which 

 is for the present stated as 57 de- 

 grees, the bees begin to form a com- 

 pact cluster, and if the temperature of 

 the air surrounding them continues to 

 drop they begin to generateheat within 

 the cluster. * * * At the tem- 

 perature at which other insects become 

 less active (begin hibernation) the 

 honey-bee becomes more active and 

 generates heat; in some cases until 

 the temperature within the cluster is 

 as high as that of the brood-nest in 

 summer. * * * These conditions 

 do not apply when the colony has 

 brood. The rearing of brood in win- 

 ter causes a marked increase in heat 

 production." * * * 



It is therefore apparent that in low 

 temperatures the bees feel the necessity 

 of heat production. 



A diagram given of temperatures 

 taken in cellar wintering shows that in 

 a room kept at temperatures varying 

 between 38 and 44 degrees, the tem- 

 perature of the cluster varied between 

 64 and 88 degrees in one hive and be- 

 tween 71 and 1)1 degrees in another. 



A number of interesting remarks 

 were made, some of which confirm 



facts which practical beekeepers have 

 noticed. For instance, when a hive is 

 opened in cold weather, the bees are 

 found to form a compact cluster. But 

 those on the outside of the cluster are 

 less active than those in the interior of 

 the cluster. 



" When a comb from the center of 

 the cluster was shaken, the active bees 

 in the center of the circle dropped off 

 readily, and those in the outer shell 

 which were somewhat sluggish were 

 removed with more difficulty. * * 

 Evidently the bees in the shell, whether 

 in the cells or between the combs, are 

 less active than those in the interior of 

 the cluster." 



Also it was noticed that " bees fan to 

 heat the cluster in winter as well as to 

 cool tlie hive in summer. Observations 

 of this kind were repeated beyond num- 

 ber, and this theory of the method of 

 heat production is entirely supported 

 by the repeated observation of a hum- 

 ming noise from the cluster during the 

 cold weather." Like human beings, 

 they stir more or less to keep warm. 



This study is very interesting, but as 

 Dr. Phillips states: "Too hasty con- 

 clusions must not be drawn from the 

 facts here presented." 



One point is not mentioned which 

 we think is of importance, it is the 

 comparative strength of colonies ex- 

 perimented upon. We have often seen 

 colonies so powerful that they were 

 ready to emerge from the hive at the 

 least disturbance in the coldest weather. 

 Such colonies must generate greater 

 heat than weaker ones, or must sustain 

 it more evenly. We would suggest 



comparative studies (if not already 

 made) of the largest and strongest 

 colonies with medium and weak ones, 

 both indoors and outdoors. 



As this is but the beginning of the 

 scientific study of the winter problem, 

 we may expect tangible and very use- 

 ful results in the near future, if the 

 Department of Agriculture continues 

 the employment of capable and steady 

 workers who will persist in accom- 

 plishing tasks like this. The winter- 

 ing problem is a constant menace to 

 the beekeepers of the North. It needs 

 to be thoroughly studied. 



(lood Advice for ^licJiigan 



Mr. F. E. Millen, State Apiarist and 

 Inspector from Michigan, has a very 

 good article in the April 25 number of 

 the Michigan Farmer on "Spring 

 Work in the Apiary." Unlike many 

 aricles which appear from time to time 

 in farm papers, this article does not 

 try to emphasize how to keep a pocket- 

 ful of dollars by big crops of honey. 

 Mr. Millen gives some practical ad- 

 vice applicable to such conditions as 

 a beekeeper is apt to meet in spring 

 just before the crop is on. 



One point made, and one which is 

 often misunderstood by the smaller 

 beekeeper especially, is that the 

 clipping of queens' wings does not 

 have anything to do with pi-f.'ciilio)! of 

 S2farmiiiir; it simply keeps the swarms 

 from absconding after they have is- 

 sued, owing to the fact that the old 

 queen is unable to follow. 



Miscellaneous ^ News Items 



Cyprian Queens. — Unfortunately we 

 have misplaced our list of subscribers 

 desiring to obtain Cyprian queens. 

 Those interested should write to W. 

 B. Davis, of Aurora, 111. He has some 



pure stock. 



•*■ 



Large Crop for Russia In the Rus- 

 sian Beekeepers' Review, Mr. Kormi- 

 Icev, of Powelen, reports t)88 pounds of 

 honey from one colony in liU3, in 

 an .\merican hive. 



also exhibited insects in their changes 

 from eggs to larva; and thence to 

 winged insects. They also showed the 

 transferring of bees from the common 

 skep to the movable-frame hive, swarm 

 harvesting, queen laying, honey extrac- 

 tion, etc. 



The picture show, which is so often 

 used for sensational exhibits, may thus 

 be put to excellent use for the educa- 

 tion of the masses. 



Education by Cinematograph. — Edu- 

 cating the people concerning bees by 

 the moving picture show is one of the 

 growing methods. At the French Ag- 

 gricultural Exhibit in Paris, in Janu- 

 ary, they showed agricultural scenes, 

 such as plowing, harvesting, etc. ; they 



Oldest Living Member of the National 



Association On the first page of the 



May issue. Dr. Miller asks if there 

 isn't some mistake in reckoning con- 

 cerning wlio is the oldest member of 

 the National Association. The h'ditor 

 had given 81 years as my age, which is 

 correct. Hut he should have stated 

 that I was the oldest living member in 

 attendance at the first National con- 



