The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-06-11
TIE HONEY BEE.
THE DRoNE, AND THE QUEEN.

One Of the most interesting and curious
little creatures in the insect world is tht
Honey Bee. For many hundred year:
the habits of these wonderful insects have
been carefully studied. Some persons
have spent their days in observing these
little busy animals.
Every association Of bees has three
kinds-the queen. the droncs and the
workers. 1t is estimated that hive usu.
ally contains from six TO twelve thousand
bees. In some small hives, however, the
number is much less than six thousand
while large ones have been known to have
as many as twenty thousand.
There is on ly one queen bee in each
swarm whether large or small. The aver.
age proportion of drones is about fifty to
each thousand working bees. Hence
about nineteen twenteths of the bees in
every hive are workers.
THE DRONE.
The drones are the largest bees in the
family. Their bodies are thick, short and
clumsy. and they are about the size ol
two working bees. Their wings are large
and long, and they make loud buzzing,
noise when flying. They have no sting
and may be handled without harm.
The drones are the male bees They
live life of idleness, taking no part in the
labor of the hive. Indeed, they have not
the power to collect honey. or to provide
themselves with food. They have neither
honey bags. such as workers have, to con.
tain collected sweets. nor cavities upon
their legs for the pollen.
Were drone deprived Of the privileges
Of feeding on the stores of the hive it would
die. In one respect they have more lib.
erty than the workers, for they are per-
mi,ted to enter any hive, and live in the
same manner as in their own.
The drones appear in the hive during
the latter part of May, and are usually
killed or driven out to starve in the month
Of July. Sometimes few are permitted
to remain much later in the season.
THE QUEEN BEE
The queen bee is the mother of the fam-
ly, and governs the hive. She is longer
and more slender than the drone. but not
as large, and is larger in every respect
than the worker. Her legs are longer, but
her wings are shorter in proportion than
those of the drone or worker.
The queen is very seldom seen. Some
times she may be observed during the
time of swarming. She may occasion
ally be found in her royal cell, when the
bees have been destroyed with smoke for
the purpose of obtaining their honey.
The queen is majestic in her movements,
and is accompanied by guard composed
of twelve workers. This attendance is
taken in turn, and never neglected.
Wherever she goes the guards clear her
path, always turning their faces toward
her with the greatest respect.
She is armed with sting but seldom
uses it except against rival queens She
may be taken in the bare hand, and will
seldom sting when handled carefully. A
worker taken in the same way would be
dropped like hot iron.
The chief office of the queen is to lay
eggs, one of which she deposits in each
cell. These eggs are Of two kinds
lrone eggs and worker eggs. When a
worker egg is deposited in royal cell it
becomes queen bee. There are seldom
more than five or ten of these cells in one
hive.
ROYAL CELL.
The queen usually commences laying
as soon as the genial warmth Of spring
comes on. About the first of May her
'great laying" takes place, when she de.
,osites from one 10 two hundred eggs per
Jay. In warm climates this period may
AXE place earlier.
AT first she deposites only worker-eggs,
hen she lays drone eggs for few days,
and after this again produces other worker
eggs. During the time Of laying the drone