THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



315 



ANSWER BY JOSHUA BULL. 



I do not think there is any cer- 

 tain age at which 3'oung bees in- 

 variably assume the duties of 

 nurses. In times of a good hone}'^ 

 flow, when all the available force of 

 workers are gone out in search of 

 nectar, they will sometimes com- 

 mence to feed the larvae ver^^ soon 

 after they emerge from the cell. 

 But when there are plenty of older 

 bees in the hive which have noth- 

 ing else to do except to feed and 

 nurse the larvre, then the 3'Oung 

 bees may not find it necessary to 

 commence their labors quite so 

 soon. 



ANSWER BY DR. TINKER. 



Young bees upon emerging from 

 the cells do not begin work at once 

 but run about over the combs much 

 the same as a young queen upon 

 hatching. At first the3' are not fully 

 developed and the hairs on the body 

 have not 3'et straightened up. Af- 

 ter two days they are nearly full 

 grown in size and begin to feed the 

 larvae. After five da3's they are 

 fully mature and sometimes ven- 

 ture out thus early in search of pol- 

 len. At this time of the year and 

 in earl3^ spring they often do not 

 venture out for two weeks or more 

 after hatching;. 



ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE. 



The young worker bee when she 

 first emerges from the cell staggers 

 about among the busy throng of 

 workers till she finds a cell of un- 

 sealed honey to which she helps 

 herself. After that she appears 

 stronger, but still looks soft and 

 tender like a young bird. In about 

 twent3^-four hours she begins to 

 take on her adult appearance aild 

 assume the usual color of her type. 

 And shortly after this she begins 

 to nurse the young. I would set 

 the time in the usual course of 

 things at three days old, but of 



course this will var3' some under a 

 variet3^ of conditions and circum- 

 stances. 



REMOVING WAX-SCALKS. 



Query No. 40. How do Dees remove the 

 little scales of wax that are secrcteil in the 

 lohls oi" the abdomen when needed lor use? 

 Do they (the scales) not drop out? and are 

 they then gathered up. or do the bees take the 

 scales of wax dhect from each other ? O. K. 



ANSWER BY J. W. PORTER. 



In all the wa3'S named bj' en- 

 quirer. 



ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON. 



I do not know ; presume I have 

 read the report of those who have 

 spent years solving this unimpor- 

 tant question to the practical bee- 

 keeper. 



ANSWER BY DR. TINKER. 



The wax scales are conve3'ed by 

 the feet to the mandibles. They are 

 not allowed to drop out before us- 

 ing. In my observation they never 

 pick up wax scales that have fallen 

 on the bottom of the hive. 



ANSWER BY J. M. HAMBAUGII. 



The scales are removed with the 

 claws, kneaded with the jaws and 

 then woven into comb form. The 

 scales frequentl3' fall from the ab- 

 domen, but we doul)t if they are 

 ever gathered up. They probably 

 do take the wax scales from each 

 other, though we have never seen 

 them in the act. 



ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR. 



Authorities sa3' that the scales 

 of wax are removed by the bees, 

 which is no doubt correct, as the 

 scales are found on the bottom- 

 board only occasionall3', and are 

 then not gathered up but swept 

 out of the hive. In such cases 

 there is evidently an overproduc- 

 tiyn of wax. 



