314 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



to this matter. I have never been, 

 and am not now, in a position to 

 make them. It requires a larger 

 number of colonies than I can keep ; 

 facilities for both out-door and 

 cellar wintering, which I have not ; 

 and continuous observation of re- 

 sults, which I am not able to be- 

 stow, as my duties often call me 

 away from home. 



Dr. Tinker, Prof. McLain, Mr. 

 Jones and others have thrown 

 much light on the subject by their 

 investigations, and 1 am not with- 

 out hope that before very long we 

 shall get some fixed principles to 

 guide us as to the right tempera- 

 ture and surroundings to secure 

 the condition of dormancy or hi- 

 bernation — call it what yon will 

 — which beekeepers generally know 

 to be the chief prerequisites for 

 perfect wintering. The scarcity 

 of stores the present season makes 

 it a favorable time for these ex- 

 periments, and I trust the coming 

 winter will increase our stock and 

 store of knowledge on this import- 

 ant subject. 



Guel'ph.) Ont. 



^eiEllie 



Answers by Practical Apiarists. 



AGE OF BEES WHEN THEY COM- 

 MENCE WORK. 



Query TsTo. 39. At what age do young 

 bees coiiimenee work lu the hive as nurbe 

 bees ? JsoviCE. 



ANSWER BY J. M. SHUCK. 



I do not know. 



ANSWER BY J. W. PORTER. 



Depends much upon the season 

 and activity of the bees. Two to 

 four days. 



ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR. 



I cannot say precisely, but cer- 

 tainly', within a few hours after 

 they emerge from the cells. 



ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON. 



I believe in less than twenty- 

 four hours. In rare instances I 

 have seen young bees gather pol- 

 len within forty-eight hours after 

 hatchino;. 



ANSWER BY EUGENE SECOR. 



This is a question of very little 

 practical value, and if answered at 

 all could be best answered by sci- 

 entific observers. I have no ac- 

 tual knowledge sufficient to express 

 an opinion. 



ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



I don't know. I have seen bees 

 carrying in pollen at five daj's of 

 age when no older bees were in 

 the colony, so I should judge they 

 were ca[)able of acting as nurses at 

 an earlier age. I suspect they may 

 commence when twenty-four hours 

 old, but we ma^' possibly hear from 

 some one who has made close ob- 

 servations. 



ANSWER BY J. M. HAMBAUGH. 



Usually within twenty-four Lours 

 after leaving the cell. 



ANSWER BY J. E. POND. 



From careful tests made by my- 

 self I find the rule as follows : 



In twenty-one days from the egg 

 the worker emei-ges ; for from tea 

 to fourteen daj's it acts as nurse 

 and com!) builder, and then becomes 

 a fully fledged forager. Probably, 

 if such a case should occur that all 

 the bees in a given colony, were 

 very j'oung, they would act as for- 

 agers at an earlier da^', but tlie 

 above refers to a colony in a nor- 

 mal condition. 



