WIND PROTECTION.
It is of the greatest importance that the apiary be located where the wind in winter is virtually eliminated. A grove of trees or an adjacent hill usually offers the best protection, or it is possible to make an artificial windbreak such as a high fence. A natural windbreak usually is better, for it is more extensive in most cases. It has been found by the authors that if a wind of 20 miles an hour blows on the winter packing cases for a few hours the temperature of the inside of the packed hive may be greatly reduced and may even fall as low as that of an unpacked hive. Too much reliance should not be placed in buildings as windbreaks, for they often serve simply to divert the wind slightly and may even make conditions worse. A fence made of close boards usually is unsatisfactory for it causes whirls that may destroy many colonies. A heavy blanket of snow serves to reduce the effect of the wind.
Fig. 1.—Colonies of bees in summer position in groups of four. This arrangement is advantageous whether or not the bees are wintered in four-colony packing cases.