February, ’20] MERRILL: WINTER PROTECTION FOR BEES 
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shows not only the superiority of the two-story hive over the one-story, 
but also shows that the windbreak made a difference of 1,185 bees. 
Table II. Comparison Between Number of Bees in Fall and Spring 
Weighings 
No Windbreak 
1917-18 1918-19 
One-story. .. —332 —3,282 
Two-story. 2,808 —469 
Packed. 4,576 22,968 
Windbreak 
One-story. 4,538 313 
Two-story. 13,346 5,936 
Packed. 15,132 24,844 
In 1917, the average daily consumption of honey for the six hives, over a 
period of 139 days, was one eighth of a pound. 
In 1918, the average daily consumption of honey for the six hives, over a 
period of 150 days, was one eighth of a pound. 
Table II shows that in the winter of 1917-18, while the one-story 
hive in the open lost 332 bees during the winter, the two-story hive 
similarly placed gained 2,208 bees. With those bees protected by the 
windbreak the two-story hive gained 13,346, while the one-story hive 
gained only 4,538. During the winter of 1918-19 the one-story hive 
in the open lost 3,282 bees, while the two-story hive only lost 469. In 
the windbreak the two-story hive gained 5,936, while the one-story 
hive gained only 313. 
If the number of bees at the beginning of the honey-flow be a proper 
standard, these results plainly indicate the superiority of the two-story 
hive. The same factors which make this possible ought to make the 
deeper and larger hives superior even to the two-story hive, since the 
latter will have plenty of room for stores and ample room for spring 
brood rearing without too large a space for the bees to keep warm. 
Comparative Value of a Windbreak 
A study of Table I would indicate the value of a windbreak, espe¬ 
cially to colonies which are not otherwise protected. In the case of the 
one-story hive, there were 2,345 more bees in the hive protected by a 
windbreak than in the unprotected one-story hive. The protected 
two-story hive had 4,530 more bees than the unprotected two-story 
hive. While the protected packed hive only had 1,776 more bees than 
the unprotected packed hive, thus indicating that although a wind¬ 
break is very valuable, yet if it is not possible to provide one the loss 
may be partially overcome by using sufficient packing. The figures 
shown in Table II also indicate very clearly the value of a windbreak. 
In 1917-18 the one-story hive lost 332 bees during the winter, while 
the one-story hive in the sheltered position gained 4,538. During the 
next winter, the same hives respectively lost 3,282 and gained 313. 
The two-story hive shows the value of a windbreak more clearly even 
