Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-28
TEE SOLITARY BEES.


TEE SOLITARY BEES.
Carpenter, Uphol.terer and Lear-cutter.
One of the surest indications of the
approach of spring is when the bees
short flights, and if they find few
stray, puny flowers, they seek them,
only
ITO ind their honey dreams in vain,
And feebly 20 back to their hives again..
Most young people know a great deal
about the social bees that live in the
hive, but not so much about the solitary
species that begin and finish every
part of their wonderful nest without
assistance of any sort, while the hive
bees labor for one common end, bring
ing their beautiful WORK to its compile
ton together.
The solitary bees constitute very
interesting part OF the insect kingdom,
and they are not behindhand in their
ingenuity and skill. Let me tell you of
some of the homes which they make for
the protection of their young, and you
can see for yourselves how very curious
thew are.
We will take first the little carpenter
or violet bee," so called because of the
beautiful co'oring upon her wings. But
her workmanship is much more to be
admired than her beauty of color. Her
home is sort of tunnel, or several tun-
neIs, in some piece of wood which has
been softened by decay, and which,
when finished. is twelve times the length
of her body, chiseled out as smoothly as
if by the tool of an experienced work
man, (and is it not? for it is really
much easier for the bee to build her nest
than for carpenter to build house,
even though he builds many. and she
but oneD
After the tunnel is prepared it is
divided into Separate cells of an inch in
depth. And what do you think the
partition is made of that divides them?
A very insecure one for a house of
yours, you would say, and yet it is ex-
actly suited to the bees purpose: moth
ing more or less than sawdust-cement-
ed sawdust! Sometimes she prefers
the little clippings which are made'by
the excavation, collecting them as she
works. by the side of her nest, for fut-
ure use; but when she is all through
with her work there is never a chip to
be seen anywhere! These pieces of
wood, when used, are cemented to-
gether so as to form such durable
shelf that it is as solid as If but one
piece, though really in many frag-
mentS.
Now. that our little bee architect has
finished her home, she places there her
first egg, and over it the pollen of flow
ers-which, you know, is the fine dust
of their demonstrating it into a soft
paste by the use of honey. This paste
is nearly an inch high-for she knows
exactly how much the young grub will
need before it can take care of itself.
This again is covered with the cement
ed ceiling, which serves for the next
chamber in this little house. So she
goes on until she has completed ten or
twelve cells, each containing an egg.
The main entrance is then closed by a
wall of the same material.
Having done all this, the knowing
mother leaves the rest for Nature to do,
and very soon the perfect little bee ap-
pears in this comfortable nursery. OF
course, the first cell contains the first
living occupant. But how is it to get
out of its prison hedged in as it isp
When the carpenter built the nest, see
how admirably this emergency was pro-
vided for. If you could examine the
cells, you would find at the bot ON of
each hole bored, and waiting for the
exit of each newcomer when it is ready
to come forth.
AS we have said, the violet bee makes
but one nest, and yet it is as beautifully
finished as if she had made a thousand
aud without a pattern, too! Yes, but
there is One who told her just what to
do, and she obeyed the teaching. Is He
not wonderful God?
/ Now let us turn to the poppy bee, an
other of the solitary workers, and one
who is emphatically an upholsterer-
for she not only, by her great skill and
ingenuity, makes her nest, but thor
oughly furnishes it. An old writer says
of this nest, comparing it with our own
elaborate specimens:
Royal cradles, lined with down.
BY plume surmounted. or by crown?
All! there are chambers in the earth,
With a cradle in each dwelling,
Furnished for a humble birth.
Yet all your workmanship excelling-
Far "a the liiy's robe of gold
l. Outshone King SolomOn's of oldP'
And it is so; her work is SO interesting,
and the drapery so snowy which she Sc
lects, that this little upholsterer is
greatly distinguished. The only mate
rial which she uses in the adornment OF
her nest is the petals or leaves of the
scarlet field poppy, which are very
| beautiful, as you know. This gives her
/ the name of ''poppy bee."
But have not told you how this nest
is formed. A hole is dug in the ground
about three inches deep, gradually wild
ening as it descepds, until it assumes
the form of small flask. Inside this
excavation it is uniform and polished.
In order to prepare it for the tapestry
with which it is to be hung, and which
is the next step in the work. Then the
architect begins at the bottom, laying
three or four leaves, one above the
other and around the sides there are