HONEY BEES. 19 



the hive in a direct line, and return by their way- 

 marks with perfect accuracy and regularity. 



DRONE BEE. 



The drone bee is a clumsy fellow. The droaes 

 are the male bees. Where a dozen or more hives 

 are kept, there is no necessity for more drones than 

 one swarm would naturally rear, yet each one of 

 the twelve swarms carries out its natural proclivi- 

 ties, and rears a large number of these useless con- 

 sumers, not one of a thousand of which is ever of 

 any use. Swarms should not be permitted to rear 

 a large number of these non-producers. A few are 

 indispensable, yet we should take this matter into 

 our own hands. Not one drone in five thousand 

 ever fulfills the purpose for which it was created. 

 Fifty drone cells are enough for one hive, and when 

 more than this number are constructed (sometimes 

 they will number a thousand or more in a hive) cut 

 out all but a very few, and fit in a piece of worker 

 comb in their place — it is more profit to raise 

 workers than drones. Drones leave the hive to 

 sport in the sunshine in large numbers, every fine 

 afternoon in June and July. When on the wing, 

 they make a very loud, coarse buzzing. They have 

 no sting and may be handled without the least fear. 



