The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-18
REEFS AND THEIR HABITS.
Successful Bee Keeping Depends Very
largely Upon Practical NnONI-
,.Ior Of The Habits of Bees.
(By F.. f. Phillips. }

(By +. F. Phillips)
The successful manipulation Of bees
depends entirely on a knowledge Of
their habits. This is not generally
recognized, and most of the litera-
tIrr On practical bee keeping consists
OF sets OF rules to guide manipulations.
While this method usually answers.
il l., nevertheless faulty, in that with
out a knowledge of fundamental prin-
cpies of behavior. the bee keeper is
unable to recognize the seemingly ab-
normal phases of activity, and does
not know what to do under such
circumstances. Rules must Of course,
be based on the usual behavior. By
years Of association the bee keeper al
most unconsciously acquires a wide
knowledge Of bee behavior, and con-
seqnently is better able to solve the
Problems, which constantly arise
However, it would save an infinite
number of mistakes and would add
greatly to the interest Of the work
il more time were expended on study
OF behavior: then the knowledge
gained could be applied to practical
manipulation.
A colony Of bees consists normally
OF one queen bee. the mother of the
colony. and thousands of seXually un-
developed females called workers.
which normally lay no eggs. but build
the comb. gather the stores keep ths
hive clean. feed the young, and do the
other work Of the hive. During part
Of the year there are also present
some HUNDREDS of males. or drones.
whose only service is to mate with
the Qoung queens. These three types
are easily recognized, even by a novice
In nature the colony lives in hollow
tree or other cavity, but under manip-
uation thrives in the artificial hives
provided. The combs which form
their abode are composed Of was
SeCreted by the workers. The heXagO-
nal cells Of the two vertical layers con-
stituting each comb have interplaced
ends on a common septum. In the
cells of these combs are reared the de-
Veloping bees. and honey and pollen
Tor food are also stored here.
The cells built naturally are not all
0t the same size those used in rearing
worker bees being about one-fifth OF
an inch across, and those used in rear
ing drones and in storing honey about
one-tourth of an inch across. The
upper cell in natural combs are more
Irregular, and generally curve up
ward at the outer end. They are used
CHIEFLY for the storage Of honey. I'm
der manipulation the size Of the cells
- controlled by the bee keeper by the
Us" Of Il comb ndation-sheets of
pure beesWax on which are impressed
the bases of the cells and on which the
bees build the side walls
When the activity Of the spring be-
gins. the normal colony consists Of the
queen and some thousand of work
eFS- AS the outside temperature rails
eS' the queen begins to lay eggs in the
worker cells.
These in time develop into white
larvae. which grow to fill the cells.
Ihey are capped over and transform
HrSt into pupae and then into adult
Worker bees. AS the weather grows
warmer. and the colony increases in
sHe by the emergence Of the young
h"HN, the quantity of brood is in
creased The workers continue to
bf'n3 in pollen nectar to be made into
money. and water for brood rearing
"hen the hive is nearly filled with
n'eS and stores. or Wien a heavy
money flow is on. the queen begins to
LAY eggs In the larger cells. and these
"7EHIpp into drones or males.
'rnunued increase of the colony
"oo'd result in the formation of enor-
nous colonies. and unless some divi-
a"n takes place no increase in the
number Of colonies viii result Fin
AIiF. however, the workers begin tC
"pud queen cells. These are larger
'.an any other cells in the hive and
han@ on the comb vertically. IN size
ana shape they may be likened to q
leanut, and are also rough on the out
side
IN preparing for SwarminG the
queen sometimes lays eggs in partly
N''Structed queen cells but when {
''ohy becomes queenless the cells are
pthttt around female larvae. The lar
'e IN these cells receive Speca
fo'" and when they have grown t.
"u SIZE they. too. are sealed up. ant
ing