Das Leben und die rationelle Zucht der Honigbiene

In the beehive, there are three types of bees that differ in size and body shape. The queen is somewhat larger and has a long, slender abdomen that extends far beyond the tips of her wings. She is usually the only fully developed female in the entire hive, essentially the mother of the whole bee colony. The majority of the population consists of worker bees, tens of thousands of smaller females whose ovaries are much smaller and significantly less efficient compared to the queen, but are still fully functional. During the time when swarming is also possible, roughly from April to July, there is a third phenotype consisting of about 500 to a maximum of 2000 drones in the bee colony. These are larger than the worker bees and are noticeable due to their stout, stockier body shape and large eyes. As male bees, they do not possess a stinger. Their antennae are specialized to detect the pheromone scent of young queens, allowing them to mate with them high in the air (during flight). The present guide "The Life and Rational Breeding of the Honeybee" is illustrated with 31 black and white images. It is a reprint of the original edition from 1880.