28 BEGINNER'S BEE BOOK 



of time are necessary for the growth of the dif- 

 ferent sexes and even of the queen and worker. 

 First the eggs are laid by the queen mother, 

 who lays hundreds and even thousands daily 

 during the height of the season. Worker eggs 

 are laid in the same kind of cells in which the 

 honey is stored. Drone eggs are laid in similar 

 cells somewhat larger in size, while eggs which 

 are to produce queens are laid in specially built 

 cells shaped like an inverted thimble and which 

 have little depressions giving them something 

 of the appearance of peanuts. At times only 

 worker eggs will be laid for days at a time. 

 When the colony gets very strong, and the hive 

 is getting crowded, eggs will be laid in drone 

 cells also, and queen cells may be built in prep- 

 aration for swarming. 



Three days are required for the eggs to 

 hatch, all the eggs being alike in this respect. 

 For the first three days all the larvae are ap- 

 parently treated alike, being fed on royal jelly. 



