Manual of the apiary

by Albert John Cook

The bees usually build several combs at once, and carry forward several cells on each side of each comb, constantly adding to the number, by additions to the edge. Huber first observed the process of comb-building, noticing the bees abstract the wax-scales, carry them to the mouth, add the frothy saliva, and then knead and draw out the yellow ribbons which were fastened to the top of the hive, or added to the comb already commenced.

The diameter of the worker-cells ([Fig, 28, c]) averages little more than one-fifth of an inch—Réaumur says two and three-fifths lines or twelfths of an inch. While the drone-cells ([Fig, 28, a]) are a little more than one-fourth of an inch, or, according to Réaumur, three and one-third lines. But this distinguished author was quite wrong when he said: "These are the invariable dimensions of all cells that ever were or ever will be made." The depth of the worker-cells is a little less than half an inch; the drone-cells are slightly extended so as to be a little more than half an inch deep. These cells are often drawn out so as to be an inch long, when used solely as honey receptacles. The capping of the brood-cells is dark, porous, and convex, while that of the honey is white and concave.

The character of the cells, as to size, that is whether they are drone or worker, seems to be determined by the relative abundance of bees and honey. If the bees are abundant and honey needed, or if there is no queen to lay eggs, drone-comb ([Fig, 28, a]) is invariably built, while if there are few bees, and of course little honey needed, then worker-comb ([Fig, 28, c]) is almost as invariably formed.

All comb when first formed is clear and transparent. The fact that it is often dark and opaque implies that it has been long used as brood-comb, and the opacity is due to the innumerable thin cocoons which line the cells. These may be separated by dissolving the wax; which may be done by putting it in boiling alcohol. Such comb need not be discarded, for if composed of worker-cells, it is still very valuable for breeding purposes, and should not be destroyed till the cells are too small for longer service, which, will not occur till after many years of use. The function, then, of the wax, is to make comb, and caps for the honey-cells, and, combined with pollen, to form queen-cells ([Fig, 28, d]) and caps for the brood-cells. (See [Appendix, page 301]).

POLLEN, OR BEE-BREAD.

An ancient Greek author states that in Hymettus the bees tied little pebbles to their legs to hold them down. This fanciful conjecture probably arose from seeing the pollen balls on the bees' legs.

Even such scientists as Réaumur, Bonnet, Swammerdam, and many apiarists of the last century, thought they saw in these pollen-balls the source of wax. But Huber, John Hunter, Duchet, Wildman, and others, noticed the presence and function of the wax-pellets already described, and were aware that the pollen served a different purpose.

This substance, like honey, is not secreted, nor manufactured by the bees, only collected. The bees usually obtain it from the stamens of flowers. But if they gain access to flour when there is no bloom, they will take this in lieu of pollen, in which case the former term used above becomes a misnomer, though usually the bee-bread consists almost wholly of pollen.

As already intimated, the pollen is conveyed in the pollen-baskets ([Fig, 22, p]) of the posterior legs, to which it is conveyed by the other legs, and compressed into little oval masses. The motions in this conveyance are exceedingly rapid. The bees not infrequently come to the hives, not only with replete pollen-baskets, but with their whole under surface thoroughly dusted. Dissection will also show that the same bee may have her sucking stomach distended with honey. Thus the bees make the most of their opportunities. It is a curious fact, noticed even by Aristotle, that the bees, during any trip, gather only a single kind of pollen, or only gather from one species of bloom. Hence, while different bees may have different colors of pollen, the pellets of bee-bread on any single bee will be uniform in color throughout. It is possible that the material is more easily collected and compacted when homogeneous.

The pollen is usually deposited in the small or worker cells, and is unloaded by a scraping motion of the posterior legs, the pollen baskets being first lowered into the cells. The bee thus freed, leaves the wheat-like masses thus deposited to be packed by other bees. The cells, which may or may not have the same color of pollen throughout, are never filled quite to the top, and not infrequently the same cell may contain both pollen and honey. Such a condition is easily ascertained by holding the comb between the eye and the sun. If there is no pollen it will be wholly translucent; otherwise there will be opaque patches. A little experience will make this determination easy, even if the comb is old. It is often stated that queenless colonies gather no pollen, but this is not true, though very likely they gather less than they otherwise would. It is probable that pollen, at least when honey is added, contains all the essential elements of animal food. It certainly contains the very important principle, which is not found in honey—nitrogenous material.