The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-11
DO NOT BUY STINGLESS BEES.
They do nc. Mokc Much Honey end Can
not Take Care of it.


upon the last article, for information
as to "stinglcss bees opens the way
for sort Of supplementary chapter on
the habits and characteristics Of bees.
The suggestion was wisely made. for
a knowledge of these points is really
essential to Il proper understanding Of
the subject The matter Of Stinglcss
bees is explained below, and in the
forthcoming article on ''llow to mar
kct honey" an attempt will be made
to show what is wrong with the supply
and demand in the honey trade. also
why Mr.. NcSmith fine honey was re-
turned unsold.
If VIC open a hive "a frame hive
containing a good strong colony of
bees, say about the first week in
April. in this latitude, examination
will show us first %, 900 to $4,000
worker bees, several hundreds of
droncs, and queen bee. The queen,
who is no queen at all, but should be
called by the German name of mother
bee, - is the most important figure in
the hive. She lays all the eggs, often
at this season 5000 per day. This
prodisious amount of labor leaves her
no time for other work and she has no
other duties. The young worker bees
attend upon their mother, constantly
Offering her partially digcstcd food.
Leaving out accidents she will live
three to five years. The worker bees
arc undcvclopcd females, in fact some
of them may occasionally, in a queen
less hive, lay a few unfcrtic eggs.
They do all the work Of the commun-
ity except cgg-laying, which is the
queens province. They build comb
from wax sccrctcd by themselves. they
nurse and feed the larvae or young
brood, they gather nectar and pollen
from flowers, store both in cells in
their combs, and seal up the cells
after they have cvaporatcd and ripcncd
the nectar into honey: they post SEN
tries day and night to guard against
surprise, and they fight to the death
with reckless courage in defence Of
home and kindred. They oany mum
Der of other things showing skill and
wisdom so amazing that it is difficult
to deny to them 4 share of reasoning
power. The "cqual rights folks
may note that all the wealth and
sweetness of the hive is the product
Of feminine industry, although there
is this little drawback, that all the
singing comes from the same source.
The queen has a formidable sting but
will not use it on public occasions
One may take any queen in the hand
and roll her about or even pull her in
pieces without any attempt on her part
to sting. She reserves her weapon
for intruding queens alone, for like
any sclf-respccting mother Of family,
she tolcratcs no rival in the house
hold.
The dronc is the male bee, and life
for him is full Of uncertainties. He
has no sting for sclf-dcfcncc nor any
facilities for gathering nectar lie is
merely designed to be a father, and in
that capacity is permitted to board
and lodge in the hive while his ser
vices arc needed. but after all the
young queens arc mated he is ruthless
ly turned out into cold world to per-
ish-a fact full Of significance for the
coming man.
Our examination Of the hive further
shows series Of perpendicular combs
containing cells Of two kinds-workcr
cells, about twenty-five to the square
inch, and the larger drone cells, us
ually sixteen to the square inch. In
these cells the eggs arc laid and hatch
cd on the third day into tiny larvae or
grubs. There the larvae are fc, by
the young nurse bees until the ninth
day, when each cell is sealed over
with wax. The grub becomes sort
of chrysalis (pupa.) and later a per-
feet bee, gnawing its way ont OF the
cell on the twcnty-Grst day in the ease
of worker, and on the twcnty-fourth
day if dronc. The young worker
bee stays in the hive and engages in
domestic work, such as nursing, comb
building, storing and ripcning honey,
etc.. for about two weeks, after which
she becomes a field bee and goes
abroad in search of honey and pollen
or bee bread. Her life is short, being
limited to about six weeks in the
busiest season. though she may live
several months when in winter quar-
tcrs doing no work.
Most likely at this season the bees
are about read.' to swarm, and in that
case there will be found cells of another
description, perhaps three or four. aud
may be dozen or more. These are
the queen cells in which the new
queens are to be raised They rcscm-
blc very closely peanut shells, being
about an inch in length, and arc built
in some vacant spaces in the combs or
hang from the sides Of said combs.
\ worker cgg is laid in each queen
cell and Matched rs usual, but the
young larva is fed with specially
concentrated food in large
quantity. This is known as royal
jelly" looking like thick cream, and
has stimulating effect upon the ell.
bryo bee, which in its large roomy
quarters grows to be fully developed
female or queen. The old mother bee
tries to destroy these queen cells, but
a guard placed about them keeps her
at safe distance after the egg is
and they are sealed up aS
usual on the ninth day When the
first queen cell is sealed. if the weather
be suitable the swarm leaves. This
swarming is nature method Of in
crease, or rather of pcoplng the waste
places Of the earth with new colonies
of bees which are needed to carry pol
len from flower to flower. thus sccur-
ing the vitality Of fruit and seed.
The old queen goes with tie swarm.
She does not lead, but is often unwil-
ling to leave her home. in which case
she is hustled out by Ecr daughters.
the workers. \ new home has pre-
yiously been selected in some invitin"
hollow tree. and put in habitaLlc
shape by All advance party. Then.
the weather bcin- fine. The flowers
full Of nectar and all domestic affairs
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