INSIDE A HIVE 
39 
only one is necessary to mate with the queen); 
just so do they, when planning to swarm, build 
from three to a dozen queen cells. In case of acci¬ 
dent to a queen-cell or to the young queen after 
she has hatched, there will be others to take her 
place. . . . Nature’s prodigality which guar¬ 
antees survival. 
Inspecting the combs in a bee hive is a pleasant 
and not a hazardous experience. Admitted, there 
are some persons rough and careless to such a degree 
that they are totally unfitted to be beekeepers. Such 
persons jar the hive unnecessarily or pull out a frame 
so roughly that bees are crushed against the other 
combs. The bees properly resent such treatment 
and will make their feelings known. Who can 
blame them for stinging under such provocation? 
The average beekeeper, however, is considerate 
and gentle. His movements are not jerky. Thus 
he gets stung comparatively little. When stung, he 
scrapes out the sting with his finger nail or if stung 
on one hand and the other hand is not free, he scrapes 
out the sting with a swift, heavy movement against 
his—or her—leg. 
A bee’s sting is forked on the end, with two little 
poison sacs on the other. When in action, the sting 
is driven in so forcefully that it is not withdrawn, 
