Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-05-10

lanllty oVertakes them their hope
rests in being able to re-establish
themselves after the calamity is
past. To do this it will be neces-
sary for them to be able to build
comb. To build comb it is neces-
sary for them to have plenty of
honey. For honey is the material
from which comb is built. Con-
sequently, when the cry warning
of calamity comes the worke-
bees dive into the cells and fill
themselves up with honey. This
is also the secret of being able to
handle the bees. The worker bees
are the ones that ordinarily would
sting, but now they are so busy
filling up with honey that they
take no notice of you and there is
little danger to be feared from the
other bees that go on with the
work of the hives as if nothing
unusual was going on.
Another part of their language
that is quite we'll understood is
the expression of sorrow.
If you should take the queen
away from colony it would only
be few moments until every one
of the $4,000 or more bees in the
colony would know it, and there
would take place Immediately a
most sad scene. The bees would
set up a wall of sorrow-the
sound of a sad and solemn dirge.
They would run to and fro in dis
order. They would run out of
their hive, climb it's sides and fly
off as if seeking her in the air.
Both the sound and the sight is
clearly significant of deep sorrow.
Again their expression of Joy
is just as distinct. Should you
return the queen to them, her re-
turn would be Immediately her
aided with evident delight. Their
sorrow would be turned into joy,
and the sound would indicate the
change as distinctly as any words
could express.
The language of activity is also
clear and easily learned. We
have heard of the busy little bee.
He is not always busy. Some
times there is little work to be
had. Hard times press them.
They must economic their stores
of food. Probably it is the apple
blossom season; the rains keep
them in; the cold weather chills
them. Their home is full of
young brood that must be protect
ed and fed. They are at their
wits end. They come out at the
entrance look around and go back
and report no work. There will
be few apples this year unless the
weather changes. Then the sun
comes out and few bees go out
and come back laden with nectar,
and the whole hive becomes a
scene of intense activity and the
sound of happy workers greets
the ear.
Or it may be in white clover
time. The weather is cold and
chilly. No nectar is forming.
The bees go out and return empty
handed. The activity of the bees
ceases-the work stands still.
Then a slight change in tenn
perature. The nectar begins to
flow. A few bees go out with a
half hope, when 10, they soon are
filled with the new nectar and
hurry home: Immediately the
whole hive becomes active. Every
bee that can be spared is sent out
to gather the nectar and the
sound of earnest work in the bee
kingdom is apparent. The change
is as different as the sound of the
mill that has been standing idle
because the mill race was empty
now resounds with the sound of
the Whirling wheels as the water
rushes over the driving wheel.
A little incident occurred once,
which illustrates how bees talk.
| went out on Sunday afternoon
and noticed that one colony was
having a grand time. The other
colonies were all quiet. But this
colony was all commotion. The
bees were rushing out and making
a bee line in a certain direction
and coming back as heavily laden
with honey that they could scar
cely make the lighting board. A
bee from that hive had discovered
feast over at neighbours apiary
and had come home and reported
the find and they were in
dustriously carrying the honey
home.