Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-06
The Honey Bee.

II was remarked in my hearing that
honey bee would travel twelve miles in
search OF hOney-making materials but
bee keepers dispute these long journeys
Itfs admitted they viii go out on a "a
dius OF two miles after the sweet ingre-
dents which they manufacture into
honey and for the wax basis out of which
they build the perfect receptacles into
which 70 deposit and encase the liquid
honey.
But there are many things which are
narvellously remarkable concerning bees
besides their ability TO manufacture
honey-comb and MI these six-sided cells
with amber honey. a product which will
keep for years perfectly and always re-
tain It's curative properties II kept in
dry place
A bee Is not a dashing looking insect.
indeed IL IS a plain homely little worker.
but IN its half-inch OF stature IL has an
apparatus which can do more things and
and do them well than any other creature
known TO the insect or animal kingdom.
II FIRST and foremost constructs a store
house for the fine honey, but IL stores
away food for itself and its family while
Il IS doing waxwOrk- II mixes up a sort
O. glue 20 fasten its work properly. and
along with the good. wholesome gather
fngs and mixtures Il carriers a sting that
would make everything with animate life
afraid OF the bee. but for its small body
In this sting there is rank poison for
its enemies. A single bee sting has been
known 10 kill a strong man. Some years
ago I was putting away honey comb the
day before taking from the hive, and
bee sting put me in bed with a sleepless
night and a painful hand swollen to twice
its natural size.
on the bee carries a formidable weap-
On alongside its honey pocket
On fair summer day the bees will rush
out OF the begun for the woods. They
work as II they were paid BY the minute.
They watch. clean up. carry out offal and
get rid Of things unpleasant while the
honey-gatheres are abroad.
II a storm comes over the travellers
rush home They crowd in and make
their way 70 the soP and then the first
ices TO arrive catch a firm hold in the
gum and the rest cling 10 the hind legs
CT each bee above him until they get hxed
for the night. I have seen clusters OF
living bees as large as a peck measure
and how the little legs OF those that catch
first can hold all this superintendent
mass know not but they do hold and
when the mass Is violently dislodged from
a swinging limb or bushy shrub they all
come down together. so perfect Is their
method OF clinging together and so ag-
Ersssive Is their union when they swarm
and cluster.
Every swarm has three kinds OF bee
II it First queen. then workers, then
drones-
A beehive Is an absolute monarchy. but
the monarch Is always feminine. Like
the Empress Tsi-An. over In Pelrin. the
queen bee Is one oy herself. There are
none Ike her IN her kingdom. and when
another aempress dowager Is discovered.
then two hives are imperative.
The queen bee has increased intellect
and vitality over both drones and work
ers. Some have declared queen bees live
four or FIVE years. They are much longer
bodied than the workers. but not so pie
thoric as the idle drone.
The queen has a sting. but she Is said
20 use II on queens alone, not on the COM
mon sort OF bees.
II a swarm Is divided and placed in diff
ferent hives the queen can soon be locat-
ed for the queens kingdom Will be quiet
and peaceable. but the other part will al
ways be disturbed until a queen is provid-
ed for It.
Scientists say that IL you take the
queen out Of her hive and fastan her on
q pole or stick all the bees viii come TO
her. The working bees are all feminine
and compose nine-tenths OF the hive.
They have little pockets on their hips
into which they pack their gatherings
and mixtures when abroad. They build
Tire cells, feed the young and clean the
hives.
The drones do no work-ight no battles
and have no sting. They are simply the
fathers OF the bee family. They eat and
sleep and get waited on until they die
under The absolute rule OF the queen; but
bee writers say they are killed OF when
the drone part Of the hive begins TO crowd
the workers.
When the hive gets too full OF bee
food-sweet honey and prolific bees-a
swarm will occur but the bees will not
depart unless the old queen leaves with
them And IL she for any reason decides
20 go back they all go with her.
She does not go out generally until a
rev queen Is ready TO sit on the throne
and II too many queens are accidentally
Matched out then the old queen exercises
her sharp singer on troublesome queens.
The bee kingdom is the best example
CT government dOmineered by the fem
mime part OF the family. known 10 science