El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-18
Females Rule Bee Kingdom
Males Have No Privileges and Are
But Lightly Considered; Queen
Bee Great Layer of Eggs.
I
by Frederic ]. Haskin-

Phoenix, ArizY shipped three
full carloads of honey from an apiary
including about 500 hives. Another
man, who only makes bee keeping a
side issue in connection with other
farm work, has for several years been
shipping two carloads Of honey from
about 500 hives.
Between so and 40 carloads of honey
are shipped from the vicinity OF
Phoenix annually, ranging in value
from $500 to $4,000 per car. The
yield from California is even larger
and other states also are producing
honey in carload lots. Such qualities
aggregate SIS, 100000 honey produc-
ton of the country is secured. The
value of the beeswax amounts to
nearly 100000 more. In addition to
these two products the bee produces
a substance known as propolis. a Glue
| Ike material with which they seal up
! the cracks and creVices OF the hive
before beginning to build cells. Pro-
gold leaf to picture frames and other
articles, but as yet no means has been
! found for securing it in large CONNER
| cial quantities.
Bee Requires Patient Study.
The patient industry which enables
| the bee to amass such large stores
mas made her the subject Of scientific
study for centuries. Yet the full
J understood even now MaeterlinCk
! tells US that AristemachUs, an ancient
Greek, studied the bee for S. years
and considered the time well spent.
Since then the bee has oeen the sub
ject of study in every age, but the
principles of the hive organization
and its feminine government were
only discovered by the Dutch savant
Swammerdam, in the 18th century.
The bee hive is the finest example
of feminine dominion in the world
Male Bees Have No Privileges.
The males are droneS and are only
useful for reproduction. They perform
none of the work of the hive and
have no privileges or rights in its
governments. From them the young
queen selects her mate for npptial
flight and the remainder are or no
value to the tribe. The nUptial flight
of the queen is the most Important
event in the life of a bee colony.
When young queen is first Matched
she is not fully accepted as sovereign
although she is treated with respect.
To qualify herself for her royal mis-
sion of reproduction she must choose
a mate for her flight out into the
open air She flies as high as her
wings will bear her and then returns
to the hive where she is kept a royal
prisoner until the time comes for her
to lead her tribe in swarm. The male
selected as the mate in her flight dies
as the result of the honor bestowed
upon him. His brothers are speedily
baniShed from the hive II nOt actually
killed by the worker bees
Worker Bees Versatile.
These worker bees are imperfectly
developed females They may lay
eggs but their eggs will produce
less to the tribe Consequently their
energies are expended in other chan
nels. The versatility is the marvel OF
all who realize IT. They act as trained
nurses in looking after the young
herself. They are skilled chefs. pre-
pairing several different kinds OF
food. The Queen is fed entirely upon
royal Jelly The food OF the larvae
differs according to their kind. The
princess larvae have some royal jelly
and some other food in addition. The
workers are fed honey. pollen and
special kind Of food called bee bread
which only they know how to make
The builder bees construct the cells,
taking the wax from the pockets IN
their own abdomens. The chemical
composition of beesWax is still a pu5-
zle. Its effect upon the human diges-
ton is an unsettled question Its sup
posed indigestibility is one of the ar
guments used in favor OF the extracted
honey. The comb honey is more at
fraCiive In appearance and has many
aChcrents who believe that the wax
hel7s rather than binders digestion.
The bees build their cells after a set
pattern and vet are able TO adapt the
their command as is proved by their use
OF the wooden honey sections furnished
them by men, A few years ago Dr.
Wiley gave out the idea of artificial
honey comb as a joke. The public,
being well accustomed to food frauds,
promptly gave 1t credence and. even
within the last three months, reputable
writers upon domestic economy have
warned their readers against such
adulteration- AS a matter of@fact- no
such fraud ever has been perpetrated
because the ingenuity OF man has not
vet been able to rival the skill Of the
bee. For years, the American Bee
Keepers association has had a stand
ing offer of $1,000 for 2 single artifl-
cial honey comb and no attempt has
ever been made to claim it. COnSe-
quently, the housewife who buys her
honey in the comb is absolutely certain
Of securing a pure food product The
extracted honey when bought from a
reputa BILE leader. is almost as depend
able for the commercial bee keepers
organizations have taken every pre-
caution to guard against adulteration-
In addition 70 caring for the young,
preparing the food cleaning the hive
and building the cells, the indoor duties
of the workers. include the ventilation
of the hive. If it becomes too warm
the young bees will die. So a force OF
bees is kept constantly Al work fan
ming with their wings. SO vigorously
do these small wind raisers work that
they sometimes produce a current of
air sufficient TO puff out lighted
match. The inside duties are apt to
be performed by the younger bees. The
outdoor tasks of gathering the honey
and pollen come to the older workers
Queens Sole Duty.
The sole duty of the queen is to lay
eggs. She fulfills this mission with a
royal will, often depositing from 5000
TO 1000 eggs a day, thereby taxing the
resources of the building workers who
have to supply the cells in which they
are to be placed The cells are built
in three distinct forms, adapted to the
storage Of honey and pollen and the
shelter Of the young bees. The cells
for the royal bees or princesses are
larger than for the workers OF drones
and the queen is usually able to de-
post a royal egg in the cell prepared
for it If for any reason there should
be a shortage of royal eggs. a worker
egg is transferred into a royal cell
and the larva is fed upon royal jelly.
This substance cannot yet be analysed
by any scientist It has the marvellous
property of transforming a plebian
into royal parsonage who will be &C
cepted by her hive
The swarming of the bees IS a sub
ject upon which all bee keepers are
concentrating their interest. Chiefly
because of lack OF ability TO control