MANIPULATION OF WAX SCALES OF THE HONEY BEE. 



REMOVAL OF THE WAX SCALES. 



Fifi. 3. — Ventral viow of a worker bee in the act of 

 removing a wax scale. The two middle legs and 

 the right hind leg are used for support, while the 

 left hind leg removes the scale. (Original.) 



The determination of the exact method by which the wax scales 

 are removed either comes as the result of prolonged and patient 



watching or is the product 

 of good fortune. Long be- 

 fore the observer is able to 

 decide upon all of the de- 

 tails of the process he 

 becomes convinced that 

 usualh' the scales are re- 

 moved by the bee which 

 secretes them and by this 

 bee are masticated and 

 added to the comb. The 

 workers never assist each 

 other in the process of re- 

 moval, although, as will 

 be mentioned later, free 

 scales may, in some cases, 

 be handled by other 

 workers. 



As a rule, the scales are 

 removed Avhile the bee is 

 standing on the comb or its support, and the wax thus obtained is 

 applied to the comb near the place where it is removed. Since the 

 Avhole process of removal takes place beneath the worker's body it 

 can be observed most 

 satisfactorily when 

 the bee is seen from 

 the side or when it is 

 building comb against 

 a glass j)late. 



The posture of a 

 bee in the act of re- 

 moving a scale is 

 rather characteristic 

 and is at once recog- 

 nized by one familiar 

 with it. Inunediately 

 before the scale is to be 

 removed the bee may 

 be busily engaged upon the surface of the comb, plying with its man- 

 dibles the wax of the scale last extracted or reshaping and polishing 

 wax already deposited, its whole body somewhat agitated, moving 



Fig. 4.- 



-Side view of a worker in the same posture as 

 that shown in figure o. (Original.) 



