Operation Of Laying And The Eggs Described
Categories:
BREEDING.
Bee Keeping:
Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
When a cell is in a condition to receive the egg, on withdrawing her
head she immediately curves her abdomen, and inserts it a few seconds.
After leaving it, an egg may be seen attached by one end to the bottom;
about the sixteenth of an inch in length, slightly curved, very small,
nearly uniform the whole length, abruptly rounded at the ends,
semi-transparent, and covered with a very thin and extremely delicate
coat,
ften breaking with the slightest touch.
After the egg has been about three days in the cell, a small white worm
may be seen coiled in the bottom, surrounded with a milky-like
substance, which is its food, without doubt. How this food is prepared,
is merely guess-work. The hypothesis of its being chiefly composed of
pollen, I have no objection to; as it is sufficiently proved by the
quantities that accumulate in hives that lose their queen, and rear no
brood (that is, when a requisite number of workers are so left). The
workers may be seen entering the cell every few minutes, probably, to
supply this food.[6]
[6] When the comb in our glass hive is new, and white, these
operations can be seen more distinctly than when very old and
dark.