REARING BUMBLEBEES IX ARTIFICIAL NESTS. 



57 



frequently climb up the sides of the box and then, reaching the 

 top and unable to go farther, fall down again. If by chance they 

 get sticky because of falling into the tin cover containing the 

 honey, there is less chance of the queen starting a colony. 

 Bumblebee queens under natural conditions keep themselves 

 scrupulously clean. Any substance such as honey which mats 



FIG. 2. Comb of Bremus impaliens of about two weeks development, showing: 

 a, several eggs in the same cell; b, one of the first larval cells; c, groove caused by 

 the queen brooding on the first larval cells. May 10. 



down their glossy pubescence and becomes a "catch-all" for 

 particles of dirt readily tends to make the queens dissatisfied 

 with their quarters and as a result no comb is started. I often 

 partially covered with stiff paper the tin lid containing the honey, 

 leaving but a little space for the insertion of the proboscis of a 

 bee. Almost any contrivance of this nature would suffice. If 

 one were to confine large numbers of queens it might be profitable 

 to devise a neater and more efficient type of feeder. 



