TEMPERATURE OF THE HONEYBEE CLUSTER IN WINTER. 11 



of this colony earlier and with those of other colonies, nor was there 

 much evidence of increased heat production due to the presence of 

 brood until after the flight. Probably no extra heat was produced 

 for the eggs, and possibly the hatching of the eggs was somewhat 

 delayed by the low outer temperature. The effects on the cluster 

 temperature which might be expected from a flight, in relieving the 

 accumulation of feces, were not observed, because brood rearing had 

 been begun. 



Colony No. 3 was placed in the constant-temperature room October 

 12, 1912, after a good flight, and readings were begun en Monday, 

 the 14th. In all, 2,165 temperature records were made on Colony 3. 

 The stores provided this colony consisted of honeydew honey, which 

 was gathered in the department apiary and which, since it granulated 

 almost at once, had been removed by melting up the combs which 

 contained it. After this operation it remained liquid. During the 

 summer of 1912 some of this honeydew honey was fed to a colony 

 in the open, during a dearth of nectar, and was stored in new combs 

 above the brood chamber, in which no cells of pollen were to be 

 found. After the second storing the honeydew honey was clear, well 

 ripened, and did not granulate. This colony was also in a 6-frame 

 hive, as previously described, and contained five thermometers (Nos. 

 14-18) among the combs. It is of course well known to beekeepers 

 that honeydew honey is not a good food for winter. 



When this colony was first put into the constant-temperature room 

 it behaved much as did Colony No. 1, except that the temperature 

 varied between 69° and 78.7° F. for the first week, being slightly 

 higher and more variable than that of Colony No. 1. The second 

 week it remained much the same, the temperature, however, varying 

 between 69° and 80° F. From this time on the temperature of the 

 center of the cluster rose rapidly, never dropping below 79° F. from 

 October 29 almost to the close of the readings. After November 4 

 the temperature remained above 86° F., and after November 11 it 

 dropped below 89° F. only twice until the end. Thermometer 17 

 at first read about 4° below thermometer 14, but after November 11 

 they were close together until November 25, when thermometer 17 

 began to cool rapidly, due to loss of bees, and after November 30 

 thermometer 14 cooled rapidly until, on December 9, it showed that 

 no more bees remained alive. From December 2 to 7, inclusive, there 

 was little heat generated, due to the scarcity of bees. It is of interest 

 to observe the records of thermometer 16, near the cluster, but usually 

 outside of it. It at first showed a temperature but little higher than 

 the two thermometers away from the cluster, but on October 31 it 

 began to rise until, on November 12, it reached 80.5° F., when it was 

 doubtless covered by the bees. Even the two thermometers (15 and 

 18) clear to the back of the hive rose until, on November 13, they 



