8 



BULLETIN 96, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



There was, however, a gradual and constant lessening of the daily 

 consumption of honey, as is apparent in Table I, which presents the 

 monthly and average daily figures. From this table it will be seen 

 that while in November the average daily consumption was 53.2 

 grams, in February the average was but 30 grams a day. For the 

 entire whiter 43.5 grams of honey were consumed, on the average, 

 daily. 



Table I. — Monthly and average daily consumption of stores by wintering bees. 



Time. 



"Weight 

 of stores. 



Monthly loss. 



Average daily 

 loss. 



November (Nov. 6, 9 a. m., to Dec. 1, 9 a. m. — 25 days).. 



Grams. 

 6.640 

 5,310 



Grams. 

 1,330 

 1,490 

 1,350 



840 



Pounds. 

 2.932 

 3.284 

 2.976 

 1.852 



Grams. 

 53.2 

 49.6 

 42.2 

 30.0 

 43.5 



Grains. 

 821 

 765 

 651 

 463 



December (Dec. 1,9 a. m., to Dec. 31, 9 a. m.— 30 days). . 



5,310 

 3,820 



January (Dee. 31, 9 a. m., to Feb. 1, 9 a. m. — 32 days) 



3,820 

 2.170 



February (Feb. 1, 9 a. m., to Feb. 29, 9 a. m— 28 days)... 



2,470 

 1,630 









5,010 



11.045 









671 













Table II. — Daily loss in weight of colony of wintering bees. 



Date. 



Loss in 



Date. 



Loss in 



Date. 



Loss in 



Date. 



Loss in 





grams. 





grams. 





grams. 





grams. 



Nov. 11 



120 



Dec. 10 



+30 



Jan. 10 



70 



Feb. 10 







12 



10 



11 



70 



11 



40 



11 



20 



13 



50 



12 



70 



12 



+10 



12 



20 



14 



70 



13 



60 



13 



30 



13 







15 



50 



14 



20 



14 



50 



14 



+ 40 



16 



80 



15 



25 



15 



60 



15 



+20 



17 



90 



16 



25 



16 



40 



16 



130 



18 



60 



17 



60 



17 



50 



17 



20 



19 



10 



18 



40 



18 



50. 



18 



40 



20 



70 



19 



40 



19 



40 



19 



+40 



Although the foregoing figures represent the usual daily conditions, 

 they do not by any means represent the actual daily consumption. 

 As will be seen in Table II, there was no such degree of constancy as 

 is represented by these averages. Taking the 10 days at the middle 

 of each month, it is possible to represent prevailing conditions for 

 that month. Thus the data of Table II are a fair representation of 

 the actual variations as they occurred during the winter. It will be 

 seen in this table that the daily variation in weight is all the waj r from 

 a loss of 130 grams in some cases to no loss whatever or even an in- 

 crease of 40 grams. Therefore it is hardly possible to assume that the 

 weights of the entire hive will throw any light on the amount of 

 honey consumed in a single day. 



This increase in the weight of the hive during bad weather is a 

 fact which, so far as the author is able to learn, has not heretofore 



