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ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



brood are small workers who relieve the queen of further work 

 except that of egg-laying. Later broods are large workers and the 

 last brood consists of males and females. In the autumn all succumb 

 except the young queens. 



The males and females of Bombus are reared after the workers near 

 the close of the summer, and mating occurs then. The number of 

 workers is relatively small, 300 in some of the underground-dwelling 

 species to 60 in some of the surface-dwelling species. 



The more common species are B. borealis, B. terricola, B. ternarius, 

 B. pennsyhanicus , B. vagans, and B. fervidus. 



Honey Bee {Apis mellifera Linn.). — There are three kinds of in- 

 dividuals — queen, drones and neutral workers. The queen is the mother 

 of the colony and lays the eggs; the drones are males and relatively 

 few. A colony at the beginning of the season contains 50,000 to 

 40,000 workers. 



Honey. — Obtained from nectaries of flowers by workers and carried 

 in the honey sac in the abdomen. Nectar is stored in cells and the 

 surplus water is evaporated by currents of air to 10 to 12 per cent. 

 Finished product is stored in wax cells about the brood chambers. 



Wax. — Made from honey and sugar. Gorged workers hang in 

 dense masses and plates of wax appear beneath the abdomen in about 

 24 hours. The wax is then transferred to the mouth and there masti- 

 cated with a fluid excreted by the cephalic glands. Twenty pounds 

 of honey are required to make i pound of wax. 



Propolis. — Obtained from buds and used to strengthen the cells. 



Brood. — Egg hatches in 3 days. The grubs are nursed by workers 

 on fluids from the mouth; later they are fed on pollen, honey and water; 

 after 5 days the grub spins its cocoon, and 13 days later the winged 

 bee emerges. 



Duration of Stages. — 



The queen grub is fed on royal jelly — the nutritious fluid excreted 

 by the nurses. 



