THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BEE COLONY. 



23 



It will be noticed that short nights were taken at 8 o'clock in the 

 morning when the thermometer c fell 0.2° C. At 11 o'clock the first 

 flight of importance occurred. Then there was another slight drop 

 in the temperature followed by a rise. At 2 o'clock there was a 

 similar flight and change in the thermometer. In all cases within 

 15 to 30 minutes the thermometer had regained its normal tempera- 

 ture. While the drop was actually slight, when it is remembered 

 that the daily fluctuation in the temperature was frequently but a 

 fraction of a degree, the decrease was relatively considerable. The 

 same effect was noticed in the spring and in the early part of the 

 season, when the bees first commenced to take field trips. This 

 cooling effect must be attributed to the rushing forth of the bees^ 

 from the cluster; in so doing they liberate the confined heat of the 

 cluster. Another factor is probably the excessive fanning at the 

 entrance which usually accompanies these "play" flights. When the 

 activities wane and the bees commence to return to the hive, the 

 temperature resumes its normal condition. 



A similar decrease in temperature was common in the early morn- 

 ing when the bees commenced to leave the hive for the field. For 

 comparison with the foregoing, the readings taken in the early morn- 

 ing of August 3 and 4 are presented in Table VII. 



Table VII. — Effects of early morning flight of bees on temperature of the hive. 



Date. 



Thermometer. 



a 



b 



c 



d 



e 







Aug. 3. 

 8 a. m 



°C. 

 34.0 

 33.8 

 33.9 

 34.0 

 34.0 



34.4 

 34.4 

 34.0 

 34.0 

 34.0 



°F. 

 93.2 

 92.84 

 93.02 

 93.2 

 93.2 



93.92 

 93.92 

 93.2 

 93.2 

 93.2 



°C. 

 34.2 

 34.2 

 34.4 

 34.4 

 34.6 



34.6 

 34.6 

 34.4 

 34.4 



34.8 



°F. 

 93.56 

 93.56 

 93.92 

 93.92 

 94.28 



94.28 

 94.28 

 93.92 

 93.92 

 94.64 



°C. 

 34.6 

 34.4 

 34.8 

 34.8 

 34.8 



34.8 

 34.6 

 34.6 

 34.8 

 34.8 



°F. 

 94.28 

 93.92 

 94.64 

 94.64 

 94.64 



94.64 

 94.28 

 94. 28 

 94.64 

 94.64 



°C. 

 34.2 

 34.2 

 34.2 

 34.6 

 34.6 



34.6 

 34.6 

 34.2 

 34.4 

 34.4 



°F. 

 93. 56 

 93.56 

 93.56 

 94.28 

 94.28 



94.28 

 94.28 

 93.56 

 93.92 

 93.92 



°C. 

 34.0 

 33.8 

 34.0 

 34.0 

 34.0 



34.2 

 34.4 

 34.0 

 34.0 

 34.0 



°F. 

 93.2 

 92.84 

 93.2 

 93.2 

 93.2 



93.56 

 93.92 

 93.2 

 93.2 

 93.2 



°C. 

 22.6 

 26.0 

 26.8 

 27.4 

 28.0 



21.2 

 21.0 

 22.6 

 25.0 

 27.0 



°F. 



72.68 



9 a. m...» 



10 a. m 



78.80 

 80.24 



11a. m 



12m 



Aug. 4. 

 5a. mi 



81.32 

 82.40 



70.16 



6 a. m 



7a. m2 



8 a. m 



69.80 

 72.68 

 77.00 



9a. m 



80.60 



Fanning entrance. 



2 Bees begin to fly freely. 



EFFECTS OF CLUSTER HEAT ON THE TEMPERATURE BELOW THE 



FRAMES. 



It was found that the heat from the cluster had no perceptible 

 influence on the temperature of the air below the frames during the 

 winter. Practically the air was at the outside temperature. But in 

 summer totally different conditions prevail; the temperature within 

 the hive becomes equalized. Furthermore, the crowding of the bees 

 at certain seasons tends to force them to hang down from the bot- 



