13 



by the evaporation of its water, is capped over with a thin 

 covering of wax. (In this climate it frequently occurs that 

 honey is capped before it is properly evaporated, with the 

 result that fermentation sets in, the caps are burst, and the 

 honey runs out of the cells and trickles down through the 

 hive). 



The existence of the colony is not only dependent on a 

 laying queen and a continuous supply of food but there is also 

 an optimum temperature for the brood, which must be main- 

 tained constantly lest it should become chilled and die. The 

 bees do this by clustering over the brood, thus keeping it 

 warm with their bodies. On the other hand, an overpopulated 

 hive may become too warm for its occupants, in which case 

 a portion of them will move outside while those within at- 

 tempt to cool the air by fanning their wings. Should it be- 

 \ \ \ come too cold the bees conserve their heat by clustering. 



The bees must also cope with numerous enemies of the 

 predatory and parasitic kind, which are several bacillary dis- 

 eases, usually known as foul brood, the wax moth, ants, cock- 

 roaches, and other foes. The development of the sting and 

 the liberal use in the hive of propolis (a mixture of wax and 

 the resinous exudation of plants) are more or less successful 

 means of repelling some of the unwelcome intruders. 



The colonies must also multiply and disperse. This under 

 natural conditions is accomplished by casting off swarms, or 

 swarming. What the actual conditions are which impel the 

 bees to swarm is not clearly known. It is pointed out by 

 Phillips that swarming is always accompanied by an unbal- 

 anced condition of the brood chamber in regard to the age of 

 the bees there. Whatever the reason, we know that the 

 practical effect of swarming is a division of the colony which 

 puts both parts in somewhat better circumstances and brings 

 about a multiplication of colonies and a general dispersion of 

 the species. The swarm consists of a queen and a large num- 

 ber of worker bees- After a longer or shorter period of rest- 

 lessness on the part of the bees, they gradually acquire a com- 

 mon impulse to move and leave the hive in a body, flying 

 about in the air until they find a convenient place to alight. 

 Here they rest for a while in a cluster about the queen; later 

 the cluster is broken and the bees in a body fly away to a 

 nesting place, usually in a crevice in the rocks or in a hollow 

 tree. When the swarm alights near at hand it can usually 

 be hived, but many swarms are lost, some without being seen. 



