Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16

First they say they would like bees to have
larger honey stomachS so that they could
bring in larger loads Of nectar on their various
trips. And IN this connection the bees might
manage to develop q larger chest expansion
and greater wing spread so that they could
carry heavier cargoeS and make out better
under adverse flying conditions. A somewhat
longer tongue, capable Of sucking nectar from
the depths of long-tubed flowers, would also
be desirable as it would make more flowers
available to the bee.
Northern beekeepers specify that they would
like bees whose engines do not freeze IS
soon as the weather becomes a little cool.
race immune TO contagious diseases and
one that would breed rapidly but not swarm
excessively would be welcome and, last but not
least, "a gentle. sociable honey bee with .
good disposition" is said to be more to the hearts
Of the men who work with bees.
Different strains Of bees vary IN their degree
Of perfection along these different lines, but
no one strain combines all Of the desired viz
tues. And. despite the fact that this insect
has been in mans service longer than most
domestic animals, it has never really become
docile and friendly
Much has been done to make the bees BUSH
ness easier, it is pointed out, such as providing
cory homes near adequate water supply and
seeing that the right flowers are available, but,
Mr.. Hambleton complains. bees still leave for
the woods on the slightest provocation and are
Just as well satisfied there as ever.
Recently, however new artificial breeding
methods have been studied extensively in this
country and in Europe, by means Of which
specialists now hope to develop a new and
superior race which will appreciate the ameni-
ties of civilization.
The time clock which the bees punch is an
ingenious device indeed It is an instrument
about three feet tall and four inches in diam
eter, filled with sugar strip. At the base are
small holes which permit the bees to feed
BY a complicated system Of floats and
weights the rate at which the bees take sirup
Is recorded electrically on chart in the ONCE.
The chart also makes note Of the time the
bees start work in the morning and when they
STOP and produces figure which represents
their total flight activity on any given day.
DY means of this information, together with
a record of weather conditions at the time
of feeding, investigators can find out how much
work bees do in different kinds of weather.
Changes in temperature. the amount of
humidity in the air, the intensity of the sun
and other weather factors all influence the
activity of a bee colony, science has discov-
cred. delicately balanced scale Is used in
tests to determine the part played by these
different weather factors.
BY the simple expedient OF placing hives on
scales and checking the weight carefully at
intervals experts can tell just how much honey
the bees produce during a given time. When
the honey flow is good and weather conditions
suspicious, a strong colony will increase in
weight as much as 20 pounds in single day.
1t is even possible to determine the amount of
honey produced from different flowers.
Bees that live in glass houses have long since
revealed to science the innernloSt secrets and
mysteries Of the hive. With the aid Of a
powerful microscope students can observe
safely all the activities of q normal colony.
The hive has plate glass walls with an air
space between and wide, deep base which
provides ample clustering space and ventila-
ton flexible cable connects it with the
out-of-doors so that the bees may come and
go at win.
Mr.. Hambleton says they soon become ac-
customed to this unnatural mode of living,
while the arrangement Of the narrow comb
in the hive is such that the bees utilize
the glass to form the outside walls Of the cells
that lie directly against it. Thus everything
that takes place within these particular glass
walled cells may be seen.
THE egg-laying habits of the queen bee can
be- studied, Mr. Hanfbieton relates. The
passage ef the egg from the tip 81 the queens .
abdomen is visible and tlie marine Ia which
gEN