6 FAEHEES^ BULLETIN 1012. 



placed, they need not interfere witli movement ihrougli fclie apiary 

 during the summer's work, while they add to its attractivenetes. 



INSULATION OF THE HIYE. 



AMOUNT OF PACKING NEEDED. 



It is impossible to insulate bees too heavily during the winter. 

 It is obvious, however, that the beekeeper will not want to put 

 on more packing than is practically necessary. For a climate such 

 as that of Washington, D. C, it is found desirable to provide 4 

 inches of packing underneath the hives, 6 inches on all sides, and 8 or 

 more inches on top. In warmer climates less will be needed, but the 

 beekeeper must not think that simply because he lives south of Wash- 

 ington he can be safe with less packing or none at all. There are 

 many places farther south than Washington where more packing is 

 needed, and there are, indeed, few places except along the Gulf or in 

 southern California where less may be used if the best results are 

 to be obtained- 



For more northern localities more protection is needed. The 

 amount indicated for Washington has been used with success in 

 places as cold as northern Ohio and even in Canada, but in these 

 places the insulation during the coldest seasons is usually augmented 

 by heavy snows. These are not at hand every winter, or may be 

 lacking during the coldest part of the winter, and it is, therefore, 

 wise to provide more packing, especially on the sides and top. For a 

 climate such as that of New York or Wisconsin, 8 inches of good 

 packing on the sides and 1 foot on the top probably will be enough 

 for good wintering every year. The amounts recommended for the 

 different zones of the United States are given in Table I (p. 15). 



A belief is current among many amateur beekeepers that good re- 

 sults may be obtained by using hives which have 2 inches of pack- 

 ing built in the sides and somewhat more on top. This amount is 

 insufficient in winter in all parts of the country except the southern 

 portions of the Gulf States. A common practice is to wrap some 

 straw or corn fodder around the hives, but this may do more harm 

 than good if the wind can blow directly through it. A covering of 

 roofing paper with perhaps a little paper packing underneath is 

 practically worthless in insulating value. 



TYPES OP PACKING MATERIAL. 



There is little difference in the insulating value of the various 

 materials which may be obtained easily for the packing of hives 

 in winter. Exaggerated claims have been made by some beekeepers 

 for such materials as broken cork or certain commercial insulating 

 materials, but it is safe to say that there is not 25 per cent difference 

 between the poorest and the best of the available insulating mate- 



