THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



165 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Workei' Comb changed to Drone Comb 

 and Vica Versa. 



As Mr. Dadant thinks that the fiict of the bees 

 chaDging- drone cells to worker cells, as commu- 

 nicated bj' Mr. Marvin and Mr. Alley to the Bee 

 JouRNAiv might "throw some light on the deter- 

 mination of sex in the eggs of bees ;" it may not 

 be out of place to state that during the past season 

 1 had two instances in which the bees done just 

 the reverse, and changed worker cells into drone 

 cells. 



The first was by a colony of black bees that I 

 transferred from a large box hive, and having 

 plenty of straight -Nworker comb in it, I filled every 

 section (or frame) with only worker comb. I 

 was particular to exclude the drone comb, because 

 I did not wish to raise black drones. About the 

 last of May I noticed a large number of drones 

 in the hive, and as I had been so particular to put 

 no drone comb in it I was surprised. I opened 

 tlie hive and the first shut I examined had a patch 

 of drone comb on it as large as my hand and 

 there Avas nearly as mnch on four others. The 

 cells were full size, four of them measuring an 

 inch 



I examined them closely, after cutting it all 

 out, and found that the Avails were composed of 

 a mixture of old and new wax. Without further 

 proof I might haye concluded that I was mistaken, 

 but on closer examination I found that the fouri- 

 dation had not been disturbed and had the regular 

 size and angels of worker cells. The drone cells 

 were built, on it, the bees paying no attention to 

 the original plan of the foundation, the new cells 

 frequent!}^ including a part ot the foundations of 

 four old ones. 



The second instance was also in a colony of 

 black bees, from which all drone comb had been 

 taken and its place filled with worker comb, and 

 as it was on the sheet of comb next to the glass 

 and paralled with it I had the privilege of seeing 

 it done. The whole sheet was of worker comb, 

 and, with the exceptions of a small spot of brood, 

 was full of honey and capped over. The first 

 thing I noticed unusual was that the bees were 

 removing the honey from one end. By the next 

 day they had removed the honey from about one 

 fourth of the sheet and had cut away most of the 

 cells down to the foundation and had commenced 

 building up the drone cells. In two da3^s more 

 the job was completed and every cell had an egg 

 in it. 

 ^ A neighbor of mine, Mr. T. M. Newman, had 

 an instance, last season, of drone comb being 

 used to rear workers. He had taken new white 

 drone comb and transferred it to a section honey 

 box, filling all the sections. He placed it on a 

 newly hived natural swarm. The queen estab- 

 lished her brood next in it instead of the brood 

 chamber, and when I saw it, it was full of worker 

 brood. I did not examine the comb closely, but 

 think that the cells were cut down and rebuilt 

 and not filled up funnel shaped as in Mr. Marvin's 

 instance. The queen finally went below and 

 when the brood was all out of the comb the bees 

 filled it with honey. 



In the second instance a])ove, I had, a few 

 days before added a half inch section to the brood 

 chamber, as the bees had built the comb so near 

 the glass that there Avasnot room enough to build 

 full length Avorker cells. This, extra room was 

 taken advantage of to rear drones, as it was per- 

 haps the only place in the hive that they could 

 have done it without cutting dov/n the opposite 

 cells. 



In the first instance no doubt more space was 

 left, in transferring, betAveen the sheets of comb, 

 than could be filled by worker brood comb. 

 D. L. Adaik. 



Hawesville Ki/., Jan. 1870. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Straight Combs. 



Quinby says the bees did not work straight in 

 sectional hives, and a writer in the last Journal 

 says he could not make them build straight Avith 

 the corner of frame up. The reason is obvious. 

 Short frames involve too manj'^ fractional cells, 

 and too near the brood. nest. If two combs are 

 started at one frame, they turn one or both to 

 avoid these, and make the range as long as they 

 can. A prime SAvarm Avill present the edge of 

 the comb to the fly hole, for free passage and 

 ventilation and the longest breadth of cavity to 

 favor compact construction. In a circular cavity, 

 the side combs narrow and convex, they leave the 

 side combs with going away from the heat. With 

 flat brood side combs, they must go farther from 

 the heat, which is not natural ; so they gather in 

 center and perish. Angular frame tops are a 

 want of heat and space. One strip of comb stuck 

 to the top bar of frame secures a straight comb 

 in most cases. They cut off most of these, 

 because they cannot enter the fractional cells, 

 but use the impressions left for the ncAV founda- 

 tion. A small swarm Avill build across the cavity 

 presenting the side of the comb to the fly hole, 

 to protect themselves from cold. In square hives 

 with short brood combs in a corner, fencing in 

 their work with thick store combs, sometimes 

 turned at right angles, v.n-ying tlioir action Avith 

 circumstances. Tliey have fought the stupidity 

 of man for ages. Lately I found where two small 

 swarms had been taken, the cavities were narrow 

 in both cases, and extended several feet above 

 and beloAV the fly hole, the baes being in each 

 case just above the fly hole. Upward ventilation 

 is right in winter, but Avrong in summer, cannot 

 have both naturally ; therefore cannot succeed. 

 This is human authority. 



F. H. Miner. 



Lemont, III. 



Many plants could not be perpetuated but for 

 the agency of insects, and especially of bees; and 

 it is remarkable that it is chiefly those which ac- 

 quire the aid of this intervention that have a 

 nectarium and secrete honey.- 



