BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 96 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chief. 

 July 22, 1914. 



(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 



THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BEE COLONY. 1 



By Burton N. Gates, Ph. D., 

 Formerly Apicultural Assistant, Bureau of Entomology. 



INTRODUCTION. 



There has been a decided need of accurate knowledge of the 

 temperatures and changes in weight of colonies of bees, particularly 



ring the winter. Previously existing data have not been gained 

 under controlled conditions, but generally by casual observations, 

 limited in number. Most of the previous work has also been for a 

 short period of the year. In this work an effort has been made 

 to get more reliable information by collecting data for practically 

 the cycle of a year. The knowledge of the changes in temperature 

 and weights is needed in a careful study of methods for successfully 

 wintering bees. This is one of the greatest difficulties which the 

 beekeeper has to meet, and it is hoped that the present work may 

 furnish data for a further study of the wintering problem. The 

 scope of the work here recorded is indicated by the following figures: 



Period of experimentation, October 22, 1907, to September 26, 1908. 

 Number of observations, 2,576+. 

 Number of separate readings, 20,000+. 



APPARATUS. 



The apparatus was constructed to meet emergencies which might 

 arise, which accounts for its many parts. It was planned so that the 

 complete apparatus could be upon the scales at all times, thus 

 obviating complications from corrections in weighings. 



THE SCALES. 



A finely adjusted platform scales was specially constructed, 

 which registered with a sensitivity of 10 grams to a maximum of 

 200 kilograms. It was expected that it would be possible to record 



i This report of work done for the Bureau of Entomology has been accepted by the faculty of Clark Uni- 

 versity, Worcester, Mass. , as a dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor 

 of philosophy, and accepted upon the recommendation of Dr. C F. Hodge. The author has been appointed 

 to the position of assistant professor of beekeeping, Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



Note.— A study of the effects of temperature on bees, and of interest to beekeepers generally. 



38957°— Bull. 96—14 1 



