54 BEEKEEPING 



into a tiny curled, white grub entirely 

 helpless in the bottom of the cell. It is 

 fed constantly by the attending bees until 

 it is six days old when it has increased in 

 size to almost unbelievable proportions. 

 At this time it practically fills the cell in 

 which it now lies at full length and the 

 bees cap it over with a thin, paper-like 

 material. In this sealed cell the immature 

 bee remains for eleven to twelve days 

 longer and at the end of that time it chews 

 a hole in the cap over its cell and emerges 

 a fully developed worker bee. 



These young bees can always be recog- 

 nized for several days after they emerge 

 for they are covered with downy whitish 

 hair. It is their period of adolesence. 

 For a week or ten days after they emerge 

 the workers are engaged entirely with in- 

 door pursuits; they are the freshmen to 

 whom fall all of the cleaning-up tasks. 

 They must take care of the babies and 

 wash the family clothes and see that the 

 floor is swept and look after the innumer- 



