Page:Bee-Culture Hopkins 2nd ed revised Dec 1907.pdf/11



success of modern bee-culture hinges almost entirely in the first place on securing complete control over the breeding, and this can only be obtained by compelling the bees to build whatever kind of comb is desired. Under natural conditions, or when in hives and allowed freedom to construct their combs, they invariably build a goodly proportion of drone-comb, which is subsequently utilised for breeding drones. This accounts for the large number of drones to be seen in box hives, or where no attempt has been made to control breeding. Drones, as most people are aware, are non-producers — that is to say, they do not gather honey, or even, so far as we know, do any work in the hives. They are physically incapable, but they consume a large quantity of food gathered by the workers, and where many are present the yield of honey from that hive, and consequently the profit, will be considerably curtailed. Some drones are needed for the impregnation of young queens, but it is found in practice that a sufficient number for this purpose will be bred, even when the breeding of them is restricted as much as possible, by making the fullest use of worker-comb foundation.

The difference between worker and drone comb is in the size of the cells, the former measuring slightly over five to the inch, and the latter a little over four. The proportions are shown in Plate II. Drones can only be bred in the larger and workers in the smaller cells. The comb-foundation obtained from manufacturers is invariably impressed with the bases of worker-cells, so that it is impossible, unless by accident some portion has stretched, for the bees to build other than worker-comb on it. The illustrations will make this clear. Plate I shows a perfect worker-comb built out on a full sheet of comb-foundation, while Plate II exhibits the result of the breaking-away of a portion and the stretching of