February, ’20] MERRILL: WINTER PROTECTION FOR BEES 
109 
of 1918-19 the same hive lost 3,282. During the severe winter, the 
two-story unprotected colony gained 2,808, while during the open 
winter this same colony lost 469. During the severe winter, the one- 
story colony, protected by a windbreak, gained 4,538, while in the open 
winter the same colony gained only 313. The two-story hive, protected 
by a windbreak, gained 13,346 bees during the severe winter, but only 
5,936 during the open winter. However, the effect of climatic condi¬ 
tions is much more noticeable on the unpacked colonies than on the 
packed ones. The insulation which is placed around the hives protects 
the bees from any sudden changes of weather. If the warm sun beats 
upon unpacked colonies it soon causes a considerable rise in tempera¬ 
ture within the hive. However, with a well insulated colony this would 
not be the case. Although the unpacked hives did not do as well dur¬ 
ing the open winter as they did during the severe winter, yet the packed 
hives did even better, owing to the fact, as explained before, that they 
were packed with leaves, which is a better insulating material than 
that which Was used the previous winter. While one colony in the 
open was losing 3,282 bees, the packed hive in the open during this 
open winter gained 22,968, but in the windbreak, while the one-story 
unpacked hive gained 313, the packed hive gained 24,844. 
The figure above, and the data which accompany it, plainly indicates 
that a severe winter, with long periods of cold weather, is really much 
more favorable than is the open winter with shorter periods of cold 
weather. 
Form of Winter Protection Which Will Insure the Strongest 
Colony of Bees at the Beginning of the Honey-Flow 
Reference to the figures given above would show that the two-story 
hive has advantages over the one-story hive, and also that probably for 
the same reason a large hive would be equally as good, if not better, 
than the two-story hive, and also that a well packed colony is greatly 
to be desired over an unpacked colony. The difference in the number 
of bees in the unpacked and packed hives is sufficiently great to more 
than repay the expense which a beekeeper may be put to in providing 
sufficient packing. In order to know the amount of stores to leave in 
the hive, the beekeeper must take into consideration the type of hive 
he is going to use. If it is a one-story to be used with no packing, he 
should leave at least 20 pounds of stores, as this would usually carry 
the bees through until the beginning of the honey-flow. However, 25 
pounds would be a safer amount. If he is going to winter his bees in a 
two-story unprotected hive, then he had better leave 25 to 30 pounds, 
preferably 30 pounds. If, however, he is going to pack them he should 
leave enough stores to last well into the spring, as he will not need to 
