32 BEGINNER'S BEE BOOK 



honey is taken from the hive too soon it is thin 

 and will sour. The process of evaporation and 

 thickening which takes place in the hive is called 

 ripening. Usually honey that is well sealed is 

 sufficiently well ripened for use, but honey 

 from some flowers requires a good deal of time 

 before it will reach the best condition. 



Pollen, often called bee-bread, is used in 

 large quantities as food for the young bees. A 

 mixture of pollen and honey furnishes food for 

 the worker larva after they are three days old. 



Both queens and drones when in the hive 

 are fed by the workers. Aside from pollen and 

 nectar the bees also gather another substance, 

 called propolis. This is used as a glue to close 

 up the cracks on the approach of winter, to 

 fasten down the cover, or other siixiilar use. 

 The beekeeper finds it difficult to remove the 

 propolis from his hands after a few hours' work 

 in the apiary on a warm day. 



When the worker emerges from her cell she 



