More on historical losses

The spring of 1940 found many colonies of bees winter-killed and many others so weakened they perished from spring dwindling. The loss probably reached 50% of the total. Fully as many colonies died from spring dwindling as from the intense cold. These losses were attributed to a number of causes, chief of which were: The severity of the January low temperatures, insufficient and improper placement of the stores in the hives resulting in starvation, dysentery and the cool unfavorable weather which continued through the spring months and prevented cleansing flights and the gathering of early pollen. 

But these things did not tell the whole story. The fundamental factors bringing about so heavy a loss reached farther back into the unfavorable weather and fall supplies late in the season of 1939. In the first place, the fall season was dry and not favorable for nectar gathering and the consequent necessary brood rearing. The honey gathered was insufficient and often of poor quality. There was insufficient brood rearing to insure young bees for the winter cluster. In some sections of eastern Indiana wild asters and other weed sources furnished winter stores of poor quality which contributed to the heavy mortality from dysentery and spring dwindling. 

1940 Report of Division of Entomology and List of Nurserymen for By Indiana. Dept. of Conservation. Division of entomology

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