100 J 



rilK A.\H:i,'lVA\ BEE-KEEPER 



AT) 



ill this line. The most prolific cause of 

 the spread of foul brood is simply neg- 

 lect. In conclusion, let me leave this 

 one thought with you; no matter if your 

 apiary consists of but one colony, know 

 something definite about that colony, 

 and then use this knowledge in such a 

 way that j'ou will assist this colony in 

 becoming a profitable investment. 



Agricultural College, ]Mich., Feb. lo. 

 190.2. 



Laying Workers. 



(By Arthur C. Miller.) 



IN LOOKING over the January Bee- 

 Keeper for a hint as to a suitable 

 topic for this article. I ran across 

 the letter of Mr. Geo. H. Mobley and 

 noted his queries about "laying work- 

 ers.*' As I have made quite a study of 

 that subject, perhaps I may be able to 

 enlighten him and also interest others. 



"Laying workers" are developed 

 from mature and previously normal 

 workers, the development taking place 

 when the bees are in dire need of a 

 mother, and when they have no eggs or 

 brood from which to rear one. But 

 there appears to be an exception to the 

 statement in regard to having eggs or 

 brood, for sometimes laying workers 

 make their appearance in colonies hav- 

 ing brood in advanced stages. We have 

 not as yet any exact record of the 

 phj'sical changes in such bees. We 

 know what constitutes a normal work- 

 er and what a laying worker, but of the 

 transition stages I believe only little is 

 known. Also but little i-s known as to 

 what properties in the food and what 

 "mental or "nervous" states may serve 

 ras stimulants to produce activity of the 

 ovaries. Special foods are prepared 

 and given to larvae destined for queens, 

 and these foods particularly stimulate 

 the development of the ovaries and as- 

 sociated parts. It is probable that ma- 

 ture worker bees in dire need of a queen, 

 and producing' such elaborated food, 

 get it from each other as there is no 

 brood to receive it, and thereby have 

 their ovaries particularly stimulated, 

 and as the eggs develop, proceed to lay 

 them. 



In connection with the remarks on 

 food. I wish to ask attention to the 

 probable fact that under normal con- 

 ditions bees seldom get chyle or digest- 



ed food from each other (except as 

 above stated). I am not absolutely 

 sure on this point, but thus far all 

 evidence tends to confirm such belief. 

 Foods and food inliuence in bee life are 

 interesting problems and are deserving 

 of more attention than has previously 

 been accorded them, but they are sub- 

 jects beyond the ken of most of us, and 

 must be left for the scientist to investi- 

 gate. 



Let any bee-keeper who wishes to 

 satisfy himself that laying workers arise 

 from mature normal workers and not 

 from larva having a bit of "royal food,"' 

 try the following experiment: 



Move to a new stand any fair colony 

 having a young queen which has been 

 with them for at least two months. 

 Provide for the old bees returning to 

 the old location as may be most conven- 

 ient; they concern the experiment only 

 in that they are not wanted in the moved 

 colony. In ten days or more take the 

 queen and all the brood and cp^ts away 

 from the moved colony, leaving only 

 the bees, to which give combs of honey 

 and pollen. To be absolutely sure no 

 eggs are given these, combs should 

 have been away from the bees for sev- 

 eral days — weeks would be better. 

 Now watch for results. Ordinarily in 

 four or five da3^s a few eggs will appear 

 and the niunber will increase daily un- 

 til the colony begins to decline. The 

 reason for selecting a colony having a 

 young* queen and for getting rid of the 

 old bees, is to be certain that all bee.s 

 subjected to the experiment are raised 

 under such conditions that there cari 

 be no likelihood of anv of them receiv- 

 ing "royal food"" while in the larval 

 stage. 



The answer to ]\Ir. Mobley"s second 

 question is not so eas3^ If the queen- 

 less colonies have eggs and brood, the 

 conditions are not such as to create 

 the abnormal desire or to cause or en- 

 able workers to get the special foods. 

 On the other hand, if all the bees are 

 very old, it may be impossible for any 

 change to occur in their ovaries, but 1 

 can onlj- judge this by analogy. 



To his third question, "Why will a 

 queenless colony fail to produce a good 

 queen when onlj' supplied with a few 

 eggs"^" I will answer Yankee fashion 

 — Is such the case? 



Providence, R. I.. Jan 31. 1902. 



