380 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



Upon the top of this lump she builds with her jaws a circular wall of 

 wax, and in the little cell so formed she lays her first batch of eggs, and 

 seals it over with wax. The queen now sits on her eggs day and night to 

 keep them warm, only leaving them to collect food when necessary. In 

 order to maintain animation and heat through the night and in bad 

 weather when food cannot be obtained, it is necessary for her to lay in a 

 store of honey. She therefore sets to work to construct a large waxen 



honey-pot 



honey poi 

 5 pollen and eqps 



Fig. 630. — Honey-pot. (From Sladen.) 



pot to hold the honey. This pot is built in the entrance passage of the 

 nest (Fig. 630). 



The eggs hatch four days after they are laid. The larvae devour the 



Kowey-pcbt 



&* 



Old eccccTt 



conlccining- 



pcllcrv 



honey -pots 



m§ * 



bunch, cf I 

 lobruae 



U ' 7'' 



:tv 







™ Old cccoons I 



r; filled 



with h.cwey 



I \ clusters 

 of coccon 3 



FlG. 6.31. — Nest in midsummer. (From Sladen.) 



paste which forms their bed and also fresh food furnished by the queen. 

 To feed the larvae the queen makes a small hole with her mandibles in 

 the skin of wax that covers them. While the larvae remain small they 

 are fed collectively, but when they grow large they are fed individually. 



