The Marshall republican., 1908-09-04
POISONED HONEY.
Why It Is That the Queen Bee Gets
None Of Il.


tary compared with those which stand
between queens of the honeybee and
such a risk. Curiously enough, this
is a phase of the internal economy Of
the beehive which appears to have es
capped observation.
I'm the British isles says the Sci.
entinc American, no poisonous honey
is collected. n II exists the bees have
learned 10 avoid II. Probably there 10
none, as tho honey from at least one
dangerous plant, the deadly night.
shade, is harmless. Ivy honey would
be the most suspicious Of any gathered
on a large scale. and it only exerts,
so far as observation goes, "A slightly
laxative effect on the digestive organs.
Although in this country no poisonous
honey Is known, it is met with in 9th.
or places. notably in Asiatic Turkey.
II was in this region that Xcnophon's
soldiers were poisoned $500 years ago
by honey from the Azelia pontica. a
plant which still flourish hes in Ar
m"nia. Some centuries later a Roman
army suffered similarly. but less Sc
y"rely. there being no deaths.
The precau'ion of compelling the
COOK 10 oat a portion If every dish,
which Is tho usual safeguard of des-
potic rulers. or the still more print.
tive plan of giving the first helping TO
a little dog. can h. eluded by a clever
Rorgia by having only one-half Of a
bird or pastry poisoned. In a wasp's
nest each foragcr on returning pro-
ceeds directly TO the queen and offers
refreshmcnt. Consequently the queen
is sometimes destroyed by slowly act.
ing poison. Further as regards wasps
il is observed that when any larvae
not recently fed perceive the queen
receiving food they become restless. II
nearly grown they wag their heads in
a suggestive way. which plainly con.
veys a demand for a share. Each for.
ager after feeding the queen gives the
balance of his lead direct to the
nurses.
In the case of the h]oneyhee one
possible reason why no y%irulently poi
sonous honey reaches the hive may
be that the insect foolish enough 10
collect any would probably die, as the
so.called hOncy.sack is really a stom-
aCh in which a preliminary digestive
process proceeds. This is proved by
the polariscope. which shows that.
while the nectar OF the flowers Is pure
cane sugar. or levulose. the substance
iC the hive cells is saCcharimCtrically
half doxtrose and half cane sugar.
DcxtrOse is invort sugar. a coarse va
sa., - ,,Ig.t l. tt- aI,,,,-, 1f ,Arn-
morCe. Forager bees returning to the
beehive place the half digcsted prod
uct known as honey in their storeroom
with other honey. This mixing would
have the effect of alternating a
poisoned load should such be brought
into the hive.
"ForaGinG bees never feed the queen
Or young larvae. but they give a
mouthful or two to druucs in passing.
lust before sealing for the metanor-
phosis workers ard drones are fed
with honey w'ycI with pollen. Not so
the Young 0uCous who only gel a fur
Their supply Of the ~rodigostod milky
substance known as Chylc, which is
the s]usteuanCo Of all larvae indis-
Nl'lilIud''lN Nh| 'll- Ni' ia ~ 'AF5
Of their existence. During the chry-
sails stage there is no feeding. II Ia
the business Of a gang, distinct for
the time being. 10 Cater for the queen
and young, They bring the food from
the stores and submit il to the dlges-
tive process referred to. after which
II is regurgitated to supply the needs
Of the queen and young larvae. The
attendants are numerous, and each
supplies only a minute quantity. The
queen bee is so constituted that her d.
gestive system is capable Of asslmt-
lating only the prepared food of chyle.
She will die in n few hours on a
comb containing honey, although kept
Al the Temperature of the hive.
THUS II would appear that the safe
guards are: First. a bee collecting poi
sonous honey would probably die be-
fore reaching the hive; second, that
n oae succeeded in depositing poi
soneA honey, the circumstance that 1t
did % would prove the poison to be
net ~viruient, and its mixture with 9th
or hoAey In the storeroom would still
further alternate the poison and rem
der Il harmless. This Is the stage at
wk2cA the product becomes human
feeA. II has. as stated above, occurred
tAaa poisoned honey has passed both
thee lines OF defense; third, that
sAsald the honey he still deleterious
tAs siamentary attendants OF the queen
would FIRST suffer. and only those
bssnsinS wholesome food would reach
hsg. % q struggle for the privilege or
feeding her majesty is continually In
pscsrsss: fourth. that should the
sesrss pass the three safeguards be
sGss uasmtioaed there is still another.
Va, that each n OF the queens at
tsadnnts feeds her only for a second
a Q time. ma thus she would never
"a Q snelessat quantity to AFFECT her
ssx1suz1y. n 10 apparent. therefore.
eaxna 60 suSaen IN ~ahundantI Drotect-