NOVEMBER 15, 1914 



881 



importance of good food — a food that will 

 not clog the intestines. It also explains a 

 common cause of dysentery. 



The authors have also discovered that (he 

 length of the life of bees either during 

 sunnner or winter depends on the activity 

 of the bees. The greater thn activity, the 

 shorter the term of life. 



They also find that when brood-rearing 

 commences or is in progress, the tempera- 

 ture of the cluster will I'ise to about that 

 which takes place in summer or spring. 

 This was to be expected, of coarse. 



During these expei'iments a remarkable 

 (hing was learned — namely, that there can 

 be, and actually is. activity inside of a 

 cluster of bees during wintc'r. When the 

 temperature of a cluster goes down to 57, 

 and the outside temperature si.i'rounding 

 tlie hive is dropping, the bees by actual 

 muscular exercise can raise th^ temperature 

 of the cluster. This activity may consist of 

 a few bees tugging at each other, moving 

 their bodies back and forth, or actually 

 fanning with their wings. One bee may set 

 up an active fanning inside the cluster dur- 

 ing the dead of winter. Bees actually fan 

 to cool themselves in summer and to warm 

 themselves in winter, paradoxical as this 

 may seem; and right here is a joke that is 

 too good to keep. Dr. Phillips and Dr. 

 Miller got their heads together and set 

 a trap for the editor of this journal — 

 a trap that he very promptly fell into, 

 as the department of Stray Straws a few 

 issues back shows. Dr. Phillips put it up 

 to Dr. Miller to say that the bees would fan 

 inside of the cluster during mid-winter; and 

 tlie editor very promptly, not knowing about 

 these experiments, considered it a joke, 

 much to the merriment of th^ two doctors. 

 We will forgive the joke, because we now 

 know more than we did a few weeks ago. 

 But it is difficult to comprehend that bees 

 can Avarm thmselves up by exercise, like 

 tlieir owners; and the idea that their little 

 electric fans, so to speak, can raise the 

 cluster temperature as well as cool it seems 

 at first ridiculously absurd; but we have 

 too much confidence in Dr. Phillips and 

 Mr. Demuth to believe that they would 

 report any thing except what actually 

 occurred. 



In this connection it is pioper to state 

 that this fact was learned through the use 

 of a hive that had double glass sides. The 

 bees were compelled to form their winter 

 clusters against these sides. It would thus 

 be possible to watch the internal movements 

 that actually take place inside, and what 

 was seen was indeed a revelavicn. 



Various observers have opened up clus- 



ters of bees in mid-winter, and found the 

 b'.'es inside in many cases as ;;'-tive as they 

 ever are. Certain thermometric readings 

 were taken, showing the temperature was 

 nearly the same as during the summer. In 

 the light of these observations just taken 

 by the Government it is very easy to ex- 

 plain this, notwithstanding that there are 

 times when the temperature of the cluster 

 is below 60 to 70. We have only to re- 

 member that, when the inside temperature 

 of the cluster goe& as low as 57, the bees 

 raise the temperature of the cluster even 

 though the outside temperature is becom- 

 ing colder and colder. The presumption 

 IS that, when the cluster is large enough, 

 they keep up these " daily exercises " in 

 order to keep the cluster warm. A pro- 

 longed cold spell, especially that down to 

 zero, is nearly always disastrous to good 

 wintering. This cold Aveather puts the 

 bees in the cluster in a state of activity; 

 and activity means an abnormal consump- 

 tion of stores, Avith no means of voiding 

 their feces, and then dysentery follows; 

 hence we commonly find after a prolonged 

 spell of cold Aveather that has lasted for 

 Aveeks, combs spotted Avith dysentery, and 

 no Avonder. We hope Dr. Phillips Avill not 

 stop right here. We hope that he Avill 

 put those theni.dl couples into a liive 

 located in a severe climate, and that he 

 will try out the difference betAveen a colony 

 well packed in a double-Avalled hive or 

 winter case and a colony in a si ngle-AV ailed 

 hive of ec|ual strength and the same class 

 of stores. Such a comparison Avould be 

 exceedingly interesting and valuable. 



At the close of this bulletin the authors 

 make the statement that " bees in winter, 

 either in cellars or outdoor-;, should be 

 disturbed as little as possible ' This is a 

 very natural conclusion ; yet it Avill be re- 

 membered by our readers that for Iavo or 

 three Avinters back Ave have lad good re- 

 sults in making increase in ceiiars by pur- 

 suing just the opposite policy. We fed 

 bees on hard candy, and di-.*urbed them 

 as much as possible. This begets brood- 

 rearing and increase at times when the 

 temperature of the cellar is 55 to 60. While 

 we do not advocate this mode of Avintering 

 for novices, and while Ave do riot go so far 

 as to say that such increase is made Avith- 

 out some corresponding disavlvantage, Ave 

 know Ave have made increase in the cellar; 

 but, '' all'ee samee." Ave advis? the average 

 person to folloAv Di'. Phillips' advice. Fuss- 

 ing Avith bees in the cellar is usually at- 

 tended Avith disaster; but tlfil does not 

 argue that the expert may not pursue the 

 jn-actice to advantage. 



