Evening star., 1935-07-07

nectar supply. The bees made daily
trips to the alfalfa, loaded with honey
and returned. SIncs the bees flew
this distance regularly, the eepart-
ment apiarists assume they might fly
even farther if necessary.
What are the chances you ask Mr..
Hambleton. "of the Federal entomolo-
gists developing a super bee in the
very near future?"
Exceedingly good. 1t Is very likely
that a honeybee with longer tongue
can be produced to save the red clover
crop, now threatened with extinction
because Of the diminishing Of its
bumblebee pollinators. AS honey and
clover are alike dependent or the
industry of this t:reless little insect,
the new bee, xhich is to come from
the coordination of laboratory and
nature, may result in a land flowing
with honey.
The room tor the improvement
Of the bee is vast. Although this
insect accomplisbes 1hIracles of flight
and labor, it IS at best only a tiny.
frail creature. In lifetime one bee
produces not more than one-;ourth
of teaspoonful Of honey. There
fore, think what even the slightest
increase in wing power and in carry
ing capacity would mean in the total
volume of honey produced!
There is more Lectar available
every year. it is estimated, than the
present bees can gather in 10. In
each section of the country this
abundant flow Of rectar is concen-
trated within short period of time.
Other nectars are available throughout
the season. but only in sufficient
quantities to feed the bees"
Bees are able to talk" to one an
other by means of scents and
dance" language. This is the absorb
ing theory held by Mr.. Hambleton.
Communication between BEES he
says, 'is carried on largely through
their sense of smell in recognition of
certain distinctive odors. and by the
Interpretation of dances performed
by individual bees within their hives"
The Federal expert believes there
are seven different odors in a colony,
each of which plays some part in the
language of scents. These are: The
individual odor, distinctive i'll each
queen and in groups of workers; the
offspring odor, different in the case
of each group of offspring; the brood
odor. the drone odor. the wax odor in
which the wax structures of different
colonies have entirely different smells,
the honey odor and the hive odor.
Single bees, besides their individual
odor, possess the family odor, and the
hive odor, which forms the dominant
factor in various actions towards hive
mates and strangers 1t is in this
way that there is mutual recognition
between bees.
THE detection Of scents constitutes
their language. Just as interest
ing is the theory that bees dance
almost as often as human beings.
This contention is offered by Herr
Won Frisch, professor of zoology, who
is quoted by Mr.. Hambleton. Bees do
not dance to music but they do prance
about in bodily expression of high
elation. Other steps have a signifi-
canoe in informing attending bees
that food Is at hand. ...
According to the dancing theory,
when nectar scout finds supply of
food she returns to the hive, and,
going to the center or that part of the
hive where most of the bees are con-
gregated, she begins her dance. This
consists of the round dance and is
carried on by the scout when she
rotates on the comb. in narrow semi
circles, first in one direction and then
in the other. While carrying out this
dance the scout bee comes in contact
with other bees, who become greatly
excited. This excitement, it is be-
lieved. is caused by Interpretation of
the dancers movements and by the
odor or scent LANGUAGE emitted by the