Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-05-16

that were a colony to remain in
definitely in one tree or one hive
to be destroyed sooner or later
through disease or some acct
dent, the race of bees would fin
ally become extinct. Nature
has provided for an increase in
colonies as we'll as an increase
in numbers, and this increase
is accomplished. by swarming.
When the hive is full of bees
and honey, and honey is coming
in rapidly from the fields, a
young queen is reared in the
hive. AS soon as she issues
from her queen cell a large
number of the bees leave the
hive and take the old queen
with them to take up their
abode elsewhere. The swarm
never returns to the parent hive
unless perchance the mother
queen forgets to go with it, in
which case the bees return for
her.
You will doubtless be inter
ested in knowing how the wax
is produced and the honey gath
cred from the field. The comb
is built mainly, if not entirely
of wax. When the bees wish
to construct new comb a large
number of the workers engorge
themselves with honey, cluster
on the frames or top of the hive
and remain perfectly quiet. In
a few hours little pearly flakes
of wax begin to appear on the
ventral segrnents of the work
ers. These flakes of wax are
taken by other workers and
worked into the comb. AS the
bees consume several pounds of
honey for each pound of wax
secreted, the bee keeper aims to
assist the bees as much as pos
sible in building their comb,
thereby decreasing the amount
of honey consumed in wax pro-
duction. This is done by plac-
ing sheets of comb foundation
in the frames. Comb founda-
ton is nothing but thin sheets
of wax which have been run be-
| tween rollers that are so, made
as to make Impressions in the
wax which are exact counter
parts of the cell-bottoms. In
other words the foundation"
for the future comb is actually
furnished the bees, and they
have only to build the cells
themselves by drawing OUT
this foundation, viz: adding on
wax to complete the walls of
the cells already begun. This
foundation can be made of
nothing but pure beeswaX, for
if it be made of other materials
or of adulterated wax the bees
refuse to use it. A large part
of the wax which is sold by bee
keepers is worked up into
foundation and comes back to
the apiaries again to be used
by the bees.
Honey is the nectar of the
flowers, gathered from the
blossoms by the bees and after
being brought to the hive, all
reaches a consistency that will
Insure it's keeping.
The worker bee has not only
a stomach proper, but also a
"honey stomach" This honey
stomach is an enlargement OF
the alimentary canal, just in
front Of the real digestive
stomach. The honey stomach
: takes no part in the digestion
; of food and is strictly nothing
more than receptacle. This
: is filled with nectar by the bee
} as it goes from flower to flower
1 and when the bee arrives at thu
: hive, its contents are regurgi
e tated into the cells. In the bacl
: part of the honey stomach il
a a little valve which opens int
: the stomach proper, and SHOULD
4 the worker bee get hungr.
s while carrying her load of nee
: tar, she has only to open thi
e valve and allow small amour
n of the nectar to pass from tn
S honey stomach back into tn
: true stomach.
e The fear Of stings deter
: many people from taking VI