FERTILE WORKERS 



95 



where but a few hundred bees remain, and yet be revived with 

 careful attention. 



The Drone. — The sole purpose that the drone (Fig. 49) 

 serves is the perpetuation of the species. As one mating is 

 sufficient for the entire life period of the queen, except in rare 

 instances when the first mating is not a complete one, not one 

 drone in a hundred will ever have opportunity to serve the pur- 

 pose for which nature designed him. The over-abundance of 

 drones is a severe tax on the production of the hive. Nature 

 provides for emergencies by producing large numbers of drones, 

 to insure the presence of a male at the time and place of emer- 

 gence of a virgin queen. In a 

 large apiary, however, where 

 many colonies are present, there 

 is little danger but that this need 

 will be met even though the bee- 

 keeper take great care to reduce 

 the production of drones to the 

 minimum. Drones appear in 

 the hive during the productive 

 period of the summer. In 

 April or May when brood rear- 

 ing is active they will be seen 

 and will continue about the apiary until the close of the honey 

 flow in late fall, unless there is a dearth of nectar, when they will 

 be summarily driven from the hive to perish. 



The drones are reared in cells of the same shape as the worker 

 cells (Fig. 50). They are, however, somewhat larger in size, 

 and the cappings are raised like rifle bullets. These high arched 

 cappings will show at a glance the presence of drone brood in 

 the hive. 



The practical bee-keeper reduces the available space for 

 drone brood to the minimum by using full sheets of foundation 

 in all brood frames. Where full sheets are used there will be but 

 little drone comb built. A few cells here and there in the corners 



Fig. 49. — Drones. 



