120 BEES AND THE WEATHER 



evenings, if one only turns up the corner of a quilt, 

 a number of bees will rush out and sting without 

 giving the slightest warning. 



On the other hand, there can be little doubt 

 that mild winters are worse for bees than severe 

 ones. Although medical men tell us that severe 

 weather has, on the whole, a worse effect on the 

 death rate than mild winters, we all know that 

 people who would be quite healthy and vigorous 

 during a severe winter, are continually having 

 coughs and colds when the season is protracted 

 and changeable, even though it is comparatively 

 mild. 



With bees it is quite certain that sharp 

 winters are best, for when the weather is very 

 cold, they hardly move at all, but simply lie 

 clustered in a semi-torpid condition. This 

 economises stores, and thus colonies which have 

 perhaps only a small proportion of stores will pull 

 through quite easily. If, on the other hand, the 

 weather is changeable and mild, the insects move 

 about freely, breeding goes on in a fitful and 

 interrupted condition, and the consequence is 

 that the food is rapidly consumed. When the 

 spring comes, and activity becomes general, the 

 shortage is so great that with increased breed- 

 ing there is not sufficient food to last until the 

 flowers commence to bloom. The colony rapidly 

 dwindles and dies out. 



