This clearly shows benefits of packing

Colonies of the University apiaries were divided into three groups of about equal strength. The colonies in one group were not packed, in another a light packing was applied, and those of the third group were heavily packed. Ample stores were left for wintering. The average mortality for the period of 1943-1944 to 1953-1954 was 18.4%, 6.4%. and 2.9% for the non-packed, lightly packed and heavily packed groups, respectively. When the weak and queen less colonies were also counted, the losses were 34.3%, 15.2% and 10.5% for the above mentioned groups, respectively. The heavily packed group had, on an average, 25.0% and the lightly packed 19.2% more frames of brood in the spring than did the non-packed group.

The results of this experiment agree closely with a similar 13-year experiment conducted by Braun & Geiger (1955) in :Manitoba. These workers found the losses in dead colonies 33.3%, 13.3% and 5.9% and the average spring brood count was 5.7,7.0 and 8.7 frames for non-packed, lightly-packed and heavily-packed colonies, respectively.

These numbers closely correspond to those obtained in surveys made by Rea (1941) in New York (2.8% loss for heavy-packed and 50.8% for non-packed); Dunham (1941) in Ohio (10.9% for packed and 34.1% for nonpacked);  Haydak & Floyd (1955) in :Minnesota (42.5%, 18.7% and 10.1% loss for non-packed, lightly-packed. and heavily-packed colonies, respectively). Thus it appears that under Minnesota conditions packing colonies helps the bees withstand the adversities of the winter weather better than if they are left without any protective covering.

Haydak, M. H. (1958). Wintering of bees in Minnesota. Journal of Economic Entomology, 51(3), 332-334.

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