COMB BUILDING. 27 



The cells of combs designed only for honey are frequently more irreg- 

 ular in shape, generally curve upward somewhat, and are often deep- 

 ened as the honey is stored in them, so that these combs sometimes 

 reach a thickness of 2 or 3 inches. 



The cells in which queens are bred bear in size and shape some 

 resemblance to a ground or pea nut. They are often irregular in form, 

 being sometimes curved, or short and thick, according to the space 

 below their point of attachment, which is most frequently the lower 

 edge or the side edge of a comb, or sometimes a mere projection or 

 angularity in the general surface of a comb. Queen cells open down- 

 ward instead of being built horizontally like drone and worker cells 

 (figs. 62 and G3). 



Into the material used in constructing brood combs bees often incor- 

 porate bits of wax and fiber-like gnawings of cocoons from old combs 

 in which brood has been reared, and if given cappings or trimmings of 

 combs they will work them all over and utilize most of the material. 



PIG. 10 Comb building side of hive removed. (Original.) 



Also when the bees have abundant supplies of pollen much of this is 

 incorporated into the material of brood combs, thus saving the costlier 

 substance wax. Such combs show at once by their brownish or straw 

 color, even when first constructed, that they are not made of wax 

 alone. It will readily be seen from the above that the quantity of 

 honey consumed by the bees in producing a pound of comb must vary 

 greatly, for if the comb is designed for surplus honey it will be made 

 of newly secreted wax, while if for brood other material will, as just 

 stated, replace a portion of the wax. The amount of honey coming in 

 varies from day to day, and it is difficult to estimate how much is con- 

 sumed in feeding and keeping warm the brood; moreover, a high tem- 

 perature is required in the hive to facilitate the secretion and working 

 of wax, necessitating, of course, extra food consumption when the out- 



