THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



809 



is not perhaps the kind of exercise 

 tliat ;Mr. IJemaree has had in view. 

 It is certain that they never drum 

 with their wings or " Isick up their 

 heels," or get on a " tear," but when 

 they wish to " warm up " to a slate 

 of activity from a stale of hiberna- 

 tion, they simply begin a forced res- 

 j)iration — the opposing force coming 

 from the effect of a low temperature. 

 As they warm up the respirations 

 are accelerated until a temperature 

 in the cluster is reached that enables 

 ordinary activity. No other move- 

 ments are ever observable until a very 

 rapid respiration is acquired, when 

 they begin to move about as we al- 

 ways see bees in the working season 

 —never at rest. 



I have viewed the actions of bees 

 at low temperatures a great many 

 times, and have found that although 

 there was the " oppressive stillness " 

 to which Mr. I), alludes, yet the bees 

 could be seen moving about con- 

 stantly. Their short, quick respira- 

 tions could also be seen. Now a con- 

 tinuation of this state of activity of 

 bees subjected to severe cold is all 

 that is necessary to develop a typical 

 case of diarrhea. The state, more- 

 over, in no wise difl'ers, as above in- 

 timated, from that seen in summer 

 time. They are simply active, and 

 the whole colony in a condition to 

 take food at all times. Of necessity 

 they do eat, and, as we know from the 

 great loss of weight of unprotected 

 colonies, they eat largely. I have had 

 colonies in single-walled hives to lose 

 30 pounds of weight in winter before 

 any breeding to speak off took place, 

 the bees dying off until only a pint or 

 so were left by April 1. Unavoidably 

 they had diarrhea, and they spring 

 dwindled. On the contrary, I have 

 fouud where bees are subjected to 

 proper temperatures in wintering that 

 they hibernate most of the time, con- 

 sume very little food, lose few bees, 

 and come out in the spring vigorous 

 and healthy colonies. 



Mr. Demaree makes a strong point 

 when he says, " that bees feed regu- 

 larly when closely conHned in the 

 cluster in extreme cold weather, like 

 they do in Ihe season of their activity, 

 is a supposition only — it has never 

 been proved that they do." Allusion 

 was made to this matter in the Octo- 

 ber issue of the Apiculturist, and I 

 will now further explain that intervals 

 of several days elapse between 

 "feeding times," when bees are hiber- 

 nating. The intervals are passed in 

 a state of profound rest that is a true 

 hibernation (I beg the indulgence of 

 Prof. Cook) "in the 'scientilic' and 

 ordinary meaning of the term," as 

 Mr. Demaree lucidly remarks. 



The " feeding times " last two or 

 three hours, when they assume the 

 hibernal state again, and are as com- 

 posed as the other colonies near them. 

 I have never seen sluggisli bees par- 

 taking of food in the hive, and it 

 seems certain that they are incapable 

 of feeding in the torpid state. The 

 popular notion that bees eat regularly 

 in winter confinement is based upon 

 the known fact that they require food. 

 There is no other reason for the no- 

 tion. It has been said that the bees 



near the honey take it up and pass it 

 along the line to the hungry ones, 

 and that the sluggish ones on the out- 

 side of the cluster are all the while 

 crawling into the centre to get warm ' 

 But nothing could be further from 

 the truth. The sluggish bees remain 

 on the outside of the cluster until the 

 colony warms up to feed, and if they 

 are too far away from the edge of the 

 cluster to get warmed up, they in- 

 variably die. Each laee helps itself 

 to food, and none is passed from one 

 to the other that I have been able to 

 detect. Yet it is quite possible that 

 they do feed each other as they ordi- 

 narily do when in the active state ; 

 but nothing can be more certain than 

 that they do not eat at all during the 

 intervals of torpidity. 



Hibernating bees assume a compact 

 cluster, and to the unaided eye appear 

 the same as a cluster that has starved 

 to death, such is the profound in- 

 activity. Single bees can be seen in 

 the same position for 24 hours at a 

 time, and no doubt for days together. 

 If we take out a comb on whicti the 

 bees are clustered, we find them 

 sticking together so closely and firmly 

 that it is with fears that their limbs 

 will be torn asunder in the operation. 

 At first they have little movement, 

 although aware of the disturbance, 

 and appear benumbed and act like 

 other hibernating insects as they be- 

 gin to succumb to the effects of cold. 

 Isolated bees become helpless, but the 

 united cluster is capable of warming 

 up and becoming active very soon. 

 The question, therefore, arises, if all 

 hibernating insects would congregate 

 in clusters as do bees on non-conduct- 

 ing surfaces like the wax of honey- 

 comb, would they not act much the 

 sauie as bees under like circum- 

 stances y 



Those who assume " to know " that 

 bees never hibernate, must admit 

 that their actions are very peculiar 

 when subjected to cold ; that no warm- 

 blooded creature in existence in the 

 state of "quietude" ceases all per- 

 ceptible respiration and movement 

 for days together. I therefore assert 

 that the terms " quietude," " re- 

 duced activity," "quiescence," etc., 

 are quite inadequate to express the 

 state that bees enter in winter con- 

 finement under proper conditions. It 

 seems to me that the term " hiberna- 

 tion " expresses the state exactly, and 

 is the proper one to use, although the 

 hibernation of bees is a limited one 

 of periods, probably not exceeding 

 ten or twelve days at a time. 



New Philadelphia,©* O. 



For the American B^e JournaL 



Cedar Valley, Iowa, ConTention. 



The Cedar Valley Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation met at Vinton, Iowa, on 

 Dec. 7, 1886, at 1:30 p.m.. President 

 C. P. Hunt in the chair. Hon. D. E. 

 Vorris, Mayor of Vinton, gave the 

 address of welcome, which was re- 

 sponded to by President Hunt, and 

 the Mayor made an honorary member. 



The report of the Secretary was 

 read and approved, and after the rou- 



tine of business, the question-box was 

 opened, souie of the qiiestions being 

 answered as follows : 



Which is the most practicable, 

 cheapest and safest plan of wintering 

 bees in this latitude y D. \V. Thayer 

 winters his bees in a cave, stoned up 

 and covered with earth. It has double 

 doors, ventilation pipe running in at 

 the bottom, and a pipe running out at 

 at the top. It was generally thought 

 that wintering in the cellar was bet- 

 ter than wintering on the summer 

 stands. About 4.5° was considered 

 the best temperature. 



Are sound vegetable in the cellar a 

 detriment to bees ? All thought it 

 best not to have any kind of vegeta- 

 bles in a cellar where bees are kept. 



What is the best method of getting 

 the most comb honey, and the least 

 increase V Keep queen-cells cut out 

 and give plenty of room to work. 



What are the wintering qualities of 

 honey-dew y It was thought that it 

 is not fit to winter bees on, although 

 Mr. Robt. Quinn had wintered his 

 bees on honey-dew with success, but 

 prefers good clover honey. 



To move bees a distance of seven 

 miles, when would be the best time ? 

 In the spring, about May 1, if the 

 weather is nice. 



Which is the belter place for an 

 apiary, a slope to the south with arti- 

 ficial shade, or an orchard sloping to 

 the north V The south slope was 

 preferred. 



After some discussion on market- 

 ing honey, A. J. Norris, H. O. Mc- 

 Elhany and R. Quinn were appointed 

 a committee to report next day on the 

 desirability of forming an association 

 for marketing honey and obtaining 

 supplies. 



Adjourned to 9 a.m. 



The President called the meeting to 

 order at 9:.30 a.m. The committee re- 

 ported in favor of forming an associa- 

 tion. The report as well as the fol- 

 lowing were adopted : 



Besolved, That a committee of five 

 be elected, whose duty it shall be at 

 their earliest convenience to draft 

 constitution and by-laws, and perfect 

 the organization of " The Cedar 

 Valley Bee-Keepers' Produce and 

 Supply Uniou," and submit, by cor- 

 respoudence, the result of their de- 

 liberation. They shall also be author- 

 ized to incorporate, if they think best, 

 to secure members, elect officers and 

 an agent, and to call a meeting of the 

 members at such a time as they deem 

 necessary for the best interest of all. 



The following were elected as the 

 committee: C. P. Hunt, of Water- 

 loo ; A. J. Norris, of Cedar Falls ; H. 

 E. Hubbard, of La Porte City ; G. W. 

 Harbin, of Waterloo, and Henry 

 Miller, of Vinton ; the committee to 

 meet at Waterloo, on Dec. 2S, 1886, 

 and select two more to act on the com- 

 mittee. 



All persons interested in forming 

 this association are requested to cor- 

 respond with the Secretary of the 

 association, who will forward all 

 necessary information. 



II. E. Hubbard, Sec. 



La Porte City,© Iowa. 



