The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-05-21
Tho Honey nee.
rIE pRoNE, AND THE QUEEN.


~ THE DRoNE, AND THE QUEEN.
Que ofthe most interesting and curl.
Gus little creatures in the insec, world
is the Honey bee. For many hundred
years tho habits Of these wonderful in.
sects have been carefully studied
Some persons have spent their DAYS in
observing these little busy animals.
Every association Of bees hns three
kinds--,he queen, the droncs, and the
workers. 1t is estimated that hive
usually contains from six to twelve
thousand bees. In some small hives.
however, the number is much less than
six thousand, while large ones have
bccn known To hnvc as many as twcu.
ly,thousund.
There is only one queen bee in cnch
swarm, whether large or small. The
average proportion Of droncs is about
t'lty 10 cnch thousand working bees.
llcncc, about ninctccn-twenlir,ls Of The
bees in every hive are workers.
Tho droncs are the largest bees in
lhc family. Their bodies arc thick,
short, and clumsy, aud they urc about
tho size Of two working bees. Their
wings arc large and long, and they
make loud, buzzing noise when n.y.
ing. They have no sting un'l may be
bundled without harm.
The droncs arc the male bees
They 1.-Two n life Of dlcncss, taking no
part in the labor of tho hive. Indeed,
they have not the power to collect ho-
ney, or 10 provide themselves with food.
They have neither honey bags, such as
workers have, TO contain collected
sweets, nor cnvilics upon their legs Tor
the pollen.
Were dronc deprived of The privi-
'cgcs Of feeling on the stores Of the
hive it would die. la one respect they
have more liberty than the workers, for
they are permitted 10 enter any hive, and
live in tho same manner as in lhcr own
The droncs appear in the hives dur.
ring The latter part OF May, aud arc
usually killed or driven out to s,arvc in
The month ofJuly. Sometimes II few
are permitted TO remain much later in
tho season.
TIE QUEEN REE.
1'hc queen bee is the mother Of The
family, and governs the hive. She is
longer and more slender than the tronc,
but not us large, and is larger in every
respect than the worker. Icr legs arc
longer, bu, her wings are shorter in
proportion than those Of The d,ouc or
worker.
The queen is very SELDOM sccn-
! Sometimes she may be observed during
SHE time ofswarming. She may occa.
sionally be found in her roynl cell. when
s8lhe bccs have been destroyed will,
4 smoke forihc purpose Of obtaining their
i, Honey. , ls.g
1915 s. 'Fhe5aucen is majestic ar-4s,rr move.
3 ,HTti's, and Is accompanied bya guard
,2srog IS gI,osed OF tYelye WORKERS. This al.
sitendance isitaasen III, iurri,l, at,,i5 mover
ssslesslectntl " isereeer she goes thc
lear: ller path, sniways turning
a,as.
Sheis armed with a sting tut sci.
uses itexeepl against rival queens.
sslidsn,ny bc taken in Tho bare hand
and will seldom. sting when handled
/. carefully. A worker, taken in lhc
same manner, would DC dropped like a
piece ofiio' itoh.
The chiel office Of The queen is 10 luy
eggs, ono OF which she deposits in each
cell. These eggs are Of two kinds
drone. eggs and worker eggs. When
worker egg is deposited in II ,oHi cen
it becomes n queen bee. There are
seldom more than five or ten Of these
cells in one hive.
ROYAL CELL.
The queen usually commences rs soon
as the genial warmth OF spring comes on.
About tho first Of May her great laying''
=. takes place, when she dcpos.tcs from one
to two hundred eggs per day. In warm
climates this period may take place earlier
at first she dcposiics only workcr-cags
then she lays dronc eggs for few days,
and after this again produces worker-crws
During the time of laying The dronc eggs
the royal cells arc built and when the queen
commences laying worker cggs for the
second time, she Leposi,cs every few davS
onc4of these eggs III Il royal cell, and from
uicsc the queen arc prodmccd.
The dronrs are produced from the ctr,
in twcn:y-iOur days, The workers IN twenty
days, and the queens III sixteen DAYS
Though young queen bee has attained
ats growth, the workers will not alow il Ia
come out Of tho cell as long aS The old
queen remains in the hive. Should the
young queen effect her escape from Tho
ce', the old one would seize and Kin her
Immediately
When the young queen has attained her
growth, andhogins to say 'pcap yccp,' the
e OLD one, knowing it to be The cry of rival
Tor lbcrty,is aroused, and attempts to &c,
nj the royal cell 10 destroy it's inmate. Hu,
the workers prevent her from doing this:
and now, linding that she no longer has
absolute authority in the family, she com.
mences sudden vibration Of her wings,
runs over every par; Of The comb followed hy
lIers subjects, and great conmo,un c,i.
sues.
When notice has thus been fairly com
: mun!catcd to the whole family, the queen