The Coolidge examiner., 1937-03-18

pollen, the latter is so indispens-
able to the welfare of the colony
that the bees are compelled to visit
countless numbers of flowers which
secrete little or no nectar but which
do furnish them with pollen. Thus
the bees pollinize numerous vari-
eties of plants.
The worker bee is particularly
adapted to gather pollen. Almost
every part of it's body is covered
with hair. Many of the hairs are
long, lacy, and branched; spikelike
hairs even grow between the facets
of its compound eyes. When bee
alights on flower that has abun-
dant pollen, the pollen grains be-
come entangled in its numerous
hairs, and in gathering a load to
carry back to the hive, the bee
brushes over the stigma Of the
blossom, inadvertently transferring
to its sticky surface grains of
pollen. For this act the blossom
lives and offers its alluring per-
fume and enticing nectar.
Pollen Stored in Cakes.
Upon reaching the hive, the bee
inserts its hind legs into cell and
prizes off the two pellets of pollen.
There young bee, with its head,
rams the pollen into compact cake
into the bottom of the cell. Pollen
is not mixed with honey. 1t is stored
in separate cells close to the brood
nest, where it is readily available
to the nurse bees.
The pollen furnishes the fat and
protein in the diet of the honeybee,
while the nectar supplies the car
bohydrate.
Early in the spring, when the al
ders and willows are putting forth
their fuzzy catkins, the bees go
the queen may start egg laying.
From then on, progress depending
upon the weather and the amount
of food available, brood rearing con-
tinues at a constantly accelerated
pace. Within a few weeks the hive
becomes so populous that there is
no more room where the queen can
lay and no more space in which to
store honey.
With food available from myriadS
of flowers, but with no place to store
it, the bees prepare to relieve the
congestion. The time has come
when some must go.
The first indication that swarm
ing may be imminent appears when
thousands of bees cluster at the en-
frances, literally loafing. The hive
boils over with bees. Inspection
within reveals the presence of sew
eral pendulous peanut-shaped queen
cells, an almost infallible indica-
tion that the hegira is about to take
place. Each queen cell holds
prospective heiress, possible sue
cessor to the old queen.
How the Bees Swarm.
The reigning queen and her
daughters do not wait until the heir
ess actually arrives, however, but
on the first bright warm day after
the queen cells are sealed a mighty
commotion heralds the issuance of
the swarm. This usually takes place
from 10 to IL o'clock in the morn
ing. Most of the bees that have
attained flying age (and this in
cludes virtually all the field bees)
rush out of the hive, tumbling over
one another in their eagernesS to
taste the thrills Of the great adven-
ture.
Back and forth in front of the
hive, in sharp straight flights, they
take wing until thousands are in
the air, the queen with them. Likely
as not, this flying ENHANCEMENT will
shortly move toward some tree or
fence post. A few bees settle, and
then a few more, until within 10 to
IS minutes all have alighted in
tightly packed mass.
Shortly after the swarm settles,
scout bees fly in all directions to
search for a new abode, or, being
foreminded, they may have attend
ed to this duty several days be-
fore. If a place already has been
located, the bees may take to the
air again within a few minutes. AS
Stunning a formation that looks like
a hazy smoke ball 10 to 20 feet in
diameter, the swarm gradually
works it's way through the tree tops
and, clearing all distractions,
seems to float like an enormous
soap bubble, making "bee line"
toward its new home.
If the scouts fail to find a hollow
tree or a cozy nook in someone's
attic, the bees will continue to hang
at their first stopping place for sew
eral hours, or even for several
days. Should the scouts fail entire
ly in finding habitable quarters, the
bees may decide to camp OUT
and build their comb in the open
air.