EXERCISE 65 



Fig. 98. The honey bee 

 a, worker; b, queen; c, drone 



THE STRUCTURE, HABITS, AND MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES 



Statement. The honey bee produces more food for man than any other insect — directly by gather- 

 ing nectar from the flowers and changing it to honey, and indirectly — by pollinating fruit blossoms. 



The bee gathers nectar, a natural product which 

 would otherwise be wasted. 



Object. To study the structure, habits, and man- 

 agement of the honey bee. 



Materials. Hives of live bees ; veil ; smoker ; 

 hive-tool ; queen ; excluding board. 



Directions. 1. For the first examination of the 

 colony, select the middle of a warm spring day dur- 

 ing the period when fruit trees are 

 in bloom. Light the smoker, put on gloves, adjust veil. Blow a few puffs of smoke 

 in the entrance and give a few sharp raps on the body of the hive, raise the cover, 

 blow a few puffs of smoke over the tops of the frames, grasp the frame from the 

 middle of the hive at each end and carefully lift it from the hive (Fig. 101). Hold 

 it over the hive in such a way that the comb will be in vertical position. Study 

 the brood, which is in concentric rings. Distinguish the queen, 

 workers, and drones (Fig. 98), the eggs, larvae, and pupae (Fig. 99), 

 and the different kinds of cells (Fig. 100). Note whether there 

 are any insect enemies present, or any bee diseases. 



2. Take to the classroom some dead workers and drones for 

 further study. Notice the mouth parts, the brushes, and the 

 pollen baskets on their legs. Tell how the bees gather pollen and make bee bread. 

 Examine on the front leg the comblike device through which the bee draws its 

 antennae to clean them. Examine the rings on the under 

 side of the body from which wax is secreted. 



3. The last examination should be made in the fall of 

 the year. Determine whether or not they have sufficient food to enable 

 them to pass the winter successfully and if there are enough bees in the hive. 



Questions. Name the three kinds of bees in a colony. What is the 

 relative number of each? What is the sex of each kind? What service in 

 the colony does each kind render ? What is nectar and where do bees obtain 

 it ? Into what is it made ? What use do bees make of honey ? What is bee 

 bread, from what is it made, and to what use is it put by bees? What is the 

 comb ? From what is it made and to what use is it put ? In what way do bees 

 aid in fruit production ? How many pounds of honey does a colony of bees usually produce in a season 

 above their own needs ? How may you know whether there is enough honey stored to support the colony 

 during the winter? When should you make inspections for this purpose? If there is not enough, what 

 is the remedy ? Name the principal honey-producing plants of the community and state the season in 

 which bees feed upon each. Which plants produce the best quality of honey ? Which the poorest^ 



d 



Fig. 99 



b, young larva; 

 c, older larvae ; d, pupa 



egg; 



Fig. 100. Queen cells 



Fig. ioi. One-story stand and 

 hive with metal cover 



References. Dadant, C. P. 'First Lessons in Beekeeping," American Bee Journal. Pellet, F. C. 

 Productive Beekeeping. J. B. Lippincott Company. Root, A. Land E. I. "ABC and X Y Z of Bee 

 Culture," 1917 ed. A. I. Root Company. Waters, H. J. Essentials of Agriculture, p. 300. -Ginn and Company. 



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