234 THE BEE keeper's MAUUAL- 



to be a point of great importance. The double hives, oT 

 two in one, are for most purposes, decidedly the best, as 

 well as the cheapest. I have quite recently contrived a 

 plan of constructing my wooden hives in such a manner as 

 to give them very great protection against extremes of heat 

 and cold, while at the same time they can be easily and 

 cheaply made, by any one who can handle the simplest me- 

 chanical tools. 



It has been previously stated that the queen bee cannot 

 be induced to sting, by any kind of treatment however 

 severe. The reason of this strange unwillingness to use her 

 natural and powerful weapon, will be obvious, when we 

 consider how indispensable the preservation of her life is to 

 the very existence of the colony, and that her single sting, 

 the loss of which would be her death, could avail but little 

 for their defence, in case of an attack. She never uses her 

 weapon, except when engaged in mortal combat with 

 another queen. As soon as the two rivals come togelher, 

 they clinch, at once, with every demonstration of the most 

 vindictive hatred. Why then, are not both of them often 

 destroyed ? and why are not hives, in the swarming season, 

 almost certain to become queenless ? We can never suf- 

 ficiently admire the provision so simple and yet so eifeclual, 

 by which such a calamity is prevented. The queen bee 

 never stings unless she has such an advantage in the com- 

 bat, that she can curve her body under that of her rival, in 

 such a manner as to inflict a deadly wound, without any risk 

 of being stung herself! The moment that the position of 

 the two combatants is such that neither has the advantage, 

 and that both are liable to perish, they not only refuse to 

 sting, but disengage themselves, and suspend their conflict 

 for a short time ! If it were not for this peculiarity of in- 

 stinct, such combats would very often terminate in the death 



