Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
Continued from Seventh Page

nection with spectroscope. This apparatus Is
set up in q dark room, the spectroscope being
used for impinging different wave lengths on
the screens placed at opposite ends Of the wire
cage BY means of a "bee trap door, in the
bottom of the cage, DR.. Bertholf inserted work.
er bees one at time, in this scientific CELL The
spectroscope was then switched on to impinge
lights Of different wave length on the different
screens. The bee in every case would respond
forthwith by walking toward the wave length
of light which attracted her the most The
optical organs of bees are stimulated the most
by greenish yellow light, resembling human be-
ings in that respect Blue ranks next to green
as the most stimulating light Of the visible
spectrum for honeybees. Bees cannot see .
red light nearly as well as man can.
WHEN DR.. Bertholf rearranged his labor
w atory set-up in the dark room so that he
could employ a mercury quartz vapor lamp as
q source Of ultraviolet for comparative tests
with the wave lengths Of the visible spectrum,
he found out that ultraviolet Is much more
stimulating to honeybeeS than any visible spec
trum color. In fact, the bees exceptional abil.
ity to see ultraviolet explains, in part, the
efficiency Of the insects as nectar scouts. Ger
tain flowers, according to experimentation car
ried on by the American Academy Of Natural
History, reflect ultraviolet The small content
of ultraviolet in ordinary Summer sunshine
1t ranges between and per cents sufficient
to stimulate the nectar-scouting bees so that
they readily discern all such flowers. This
stimulation on the eyesight Of the bee Is so re-
markable that the insect sees entirely different
colors and CONGREGATIONS to that which man
views when he inspects these selfsame blooms.
The flowers which reflect ultraviolet seem 70
serve as street signs" so to say, which direct
the worker bees where to go in their nectar
hunting quest.
On the front porch of the national
bee culture laboratories rests ponderouS scale
large enough for weighing elephants, but
harnessed for the curious task Of keeping tab
on variations in the weight of a colony Of
bees. During the Summer flower season, this
beehive Is the home of from $4,000 to 100000
worker bees, the delicate scale being the Sleuth
that uncovers the secrets of what occurs daily In
that insect tenement house. The scale Is linked
directly to a continuous chart recorder and
weighs the daily honey production in the hive.
It also records the loss Of weight at sunrise,
when the bees leave the hive; the frequency Of
their returns, the approach Of stormy weather.
the appearance Of clouds in the sky and other
phenomena associated with the daily dOings
not observe union hours but on favorable days
labor from In the morning until 3 O'Clock,
while on unfavorable days, the nectar scouts
may not fare forth from their home at oil. The
workers make from 10 to 80 flights daily during
propitious weather, the water carriers making
almost double as many flights as the nectar
hunters Under ideal conditions AS much aS
20 pounds Of honey has been manufactured In
this hive I'M a hours 80 - - .
Weather changes vitality Influence Che bees.