THE HONEY BEE 365 



The bees keep their wings moving while in the hive both to keep 

 air circulating and (in winter) to produce heat. 



About thirty to fifty pounds of honey are produced a season by one 

 hive if conditions are favorable. 



As honey lacks proteins, bees gather pollen by means of their mouth 

 parts and legs, and mix it with either saliva or even nectar to make it 

 sticky. It is then placed by the hind legs in the pollen baskets. As 

 the bee enters the hive, it backs up to a cell in which a larva is placed, 

 and scrapes the pollen into such cell by aid of the spur already men- 

 tioned. The deposited substance is known as "bee-bread." The young 

 workers then pack this bee-bread into the cells by using their heads as 

 tampers. 



Still another substance known as propolis or "bee-glue" is gathered 

 by bees for the purpose of filling up cracks, for strengthening weak 

 parts, or even, probably, as a sort of varnish. Propolis is merely the 

 resinous material gathered from various plants which is then inserted 

 into the pollen basket. In the case of propolis, another worker removes 

 it from the gatherer, and it is this other worker \vhich also applies it 

 where needed. 



In warm, dry weather, water is often sucked into the honey-sac from 

 dew, brooks, or ponds, and then carried to the larvae in the hive. In 

 cool weather enough water usually condenses in the hive. In fact, so 

 much moisture may condense as to injure the occupants. 



All debris is removed immediately, so that cleanliness is insured. 



ENEMIES OF THE HONEY BEE 



There is a Bee-Moth, Galleria mellonella, which, when it can find 

 an entry, lays its eggs in the hive. The larvae then feed on pollen 

 cocoons and even cast-off larval skins. They burrow into the comb and 

 line their burrow with a silk which protects them from the bees, much 

 as a spider's web can either keep out or entrap insects. 



There are also bee-lice which attach themselves to the queen and 

 weaken her by sucking the juices from her body. The bee lice, while 

 common along the Mediterranean Sea, are uncommon in America. 

 Spiders often catch bees in their webs. 



Other insects such as dragon-flies, ants, and wasps may attack bees. 

 Toads and lizards also attack them, but these latter can be removed to 

 some distance from the hive and will then serve the important function 

 of devouring really noxious insects. 



Mice prey upon pollen, honey, and even bees in the winter time. 

 One may note here, as we have already noted in the relation of insects 

 to man, that there may be various ways of insuring a "balance in nature.'* 

 As cats devour mice, and- mice bees, the number of cats may be the de- 

 ciding factor of the number of bees there are in a given neighborhood. 

 In fact, Huxley even suggested that this idea could be carried still fur- 



