86 



GUIDES TO CALIFORNIA INSECTS. 



tents except that each worker carries off a crop full of honey. 



After the swarm adopts new quarters the workers proceed to make wax 

 from the honey which they have eaten by massing together till the body 

 temperature is sufflcient to start secretion in the wax glands beneath the 

 abdomen. The jaws are used as wax modeling tools. 



Figure 59. Details of standard bee hive. 



Besides honey carried in the crop, the bees carry pollen on their hind legs 

 and gather various vegetable gums, the propolis, used to calk the hive. 



Bee keeping is a large industry in California, some producing honey by the 

 car load. Most of the honey is extracted by centrifugal machines and sold in 

 five gallon cans. Bees wax is a by product. 



California Experiment Station Publications: Circular 63 Observation hive. 

 Bulletin 217 Honey plants. 

 Apis mellifera Linn. mellifica— mellifera. 



