CHAPTER III 



THE DOMESTIC ECONOMY OF THE HIVE 



After issuing from the parent hive, a natural swarm 

 of bees, if left to itself, very soon finds out some suit- 

 able abode, and having taken possession, forthvi^ith 

 sets to work to furnish it. Previous to swarming, the 

 workers each imbibe honey freely. (In passing, it is 

 of practical interest to note that, when gorged with 

 honey, bees are but seldom inclined to sting, hence as 

 a general rule swarms may be freely handled.) Their 

 object in thus partaking freely of honey is not so 

 much the furnishing of themselves with a supply of 

 food as that of laying in a store of raw material for 

 comb-building, for wax is a natural secretion of the 

 bee, and exudes in the form of scales in what are called 

 the wax-pockets beneath the abdomen of the worker. 

 For every pound of wax produced the bees require 

 to consume from lo to 20 lbs. of honey. 



Comb-building commences at once, and is carried on 

 with astonishing rapidity, so as to provide the waiting 

 queen with suitable receptacles in which to deposit her 

 eggs. These she proceeds to lay as soon as sufficient 

 comb is produced. The cells are of three kinds, those 

 in which worker eggs are laid and honey stored con- 

 stituting by far the greater portions of the combs. 

 These measure five to the inch in width, and in thick- 

 ness about seven-eighths of an inch, the latter measure- 

 ment comprising two cells back to back with one 

 common base. When used for storing honey in the 



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