Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-05-28
Interesting Facts About Bees.

There are some curious facts connected
with the life and workings of the bee that
are not generally known, says the Phila-
delphia Record. Scientists tell US that
the bee has two stomachs and 1000 eyes
and that queen lays between 1000 and
5000 eggs day.
A hive is made up OF a Single queen
bee, working bees female and nom
breeders) and male bees, known as
drones.
AS many as 1000 drones and many
thousands OF workers are quartered in
single hive.
Drones do not sting, but they make
considerable noise while flying.
The smallest bees in the hive are the
workers, and they are armed with sting.
The queen lives TO the age of three or
four years, but her fertility decreases after
the second breeding season.
The workers life is limited to from
five TO eight weeks, in which time she
literally works herself to death.
To hatch drone requires several days
more than il does to hatch queen or
worker.
Bees cannot climb smooth surface like
glass, earthenware or tin.
The eggs of bees are white, Similar to
polished ivory, and about the size OF a
period g..
For several evenings before swarming
a peculiar noise can be heard in the hive.
The celebrated Huber described it as a
kind of ring, or sound OF small trumpet;
by comparing ii with the notes OF piano
forte, if seemed to be the same sound
with the lower A OF the treble.
John Burroughs says that when bee
brings pollen into the hive he advances
to the cell in which it is to be deposited
and picks it off as one might his overalls
or boots, making one foot help another.
Because OF its thoughtful provisions
for the future and for the care shown its
young. the honey bee ranks among the
highest OF all insects.
Toward the close of the summer season
queen bees shrink in size so much that
they are often mistaken tor workers.
The young queen takes her wedding
journey when but six TO eight days Old
mating the drone bee in midair This
single mating is said TO be good for the
fertilization of few hundred thousand
eggs.
The average drone does not live more
than from two to four months.
Every bee has two kinds OF eyes, says
a scientist, two large, compound ones
looking like hemispheres on either side,
and three simple or single eyes, which
crown the head. Each compound eye is
really an immense aggregation OF eyes,
composed of $500 facets, which means
that every object seen has its image re-
flected $500 times in the bees tiny brain.
1t is characteristic of bees that they can
foretell an approaching storm. liza show
er be approaching, they hurriedly fly
through the air in regular scramble for
their hive.
Scientists tell us that when the workers
discover that two rival queens are in the
hive, numbers of them will crowd around
each queen and seem to encourage a
fight. Should the queens seem averse to
fighting, or attempt TO fly off, the bees at
once detain them. If, on the other hand,
either combatant shows disposition to
fight, all the bees forming the circle at
once move back so as to give tull room
for that attack. AS one writer puts it, il
seems strange that those bees, who in
general show so much anxiety about the
safety OF their queens, should, in particu-
lar circumstances, oppose her preparations
to avoid impending danger-Should seem
TO promote the battle, and to excite the
fury OF the combatants.
The young bee is at the height OF her
strength and usefulness in a few days
after she comes out from her cell. For
the next two weeks, generally, she re-
mains at home, making herself useful in
helping to do the housework of the hive,
removing dead bees and foreign matter,
attending the queen and feeding her, Sc
curing wax, building comb, caring for the
larvae and ventilating the hive.
Herman says that, when first hatched,
the bee appears to have no desire to COL
lect honey; she must first serve her ap-
premiership in the hive before the desire
awakens to 60 forth to the honey fields.
When older she either joins the field force
and collects honey or is detailed to do
sentinel duty at the entrance OF the hive,
for bees have habit OF placing guard
at the entrance OF the hive TO prevent any
intrusion from other colonies.
Before leaving their old home each
bee fills her honey sack so as to be pro-
vided for the journey.
After the cells are completed and nearly
filled with honey they are allowed to re-
main open a few days, that the extra
water may evaporate and the honey be
properly cured. They are then sealed
or capped over with wax. The wonder
full regularity of the honeycomb is beau
tiful tribute to the skill OF the tiny worker,
while its slight irregularities show it TO
be the work of intelligence rather than
OF an unreasoning machine.
The time Of the drone is spent in glut-
tony and idleness. He has very short
tongue, too short 10 gather honey from
the flowers. In size he is large and
bulky, and in each hive there are hun
dreds or even thousands OF them just be-
fore the swarming season. AS the sea-
con advances the workers slaughter these