Plate V
From a photograph by] [E. Hawks
Worker
CHAPTER IV
THE WORKER BEE
ON Plate V. is shown an illustration of the worker bee, which is the smallest inhabitant of the hive, but, nevertheless, does the greatest amount of work. We have already seen that there are many thousands of workers in a hive, and that each one has certain duties assigned to her. All are busy, and they work as though the future of the whole hive depended on their labours—as indeed it does. Each worker seems to be trying to outdo the others, in the endeavour to see how much work she can crowd into her little life. Laziness is unknown, and should a bee become so badly injured from any cause as not to be able to work, she is put to death, for the government of the bee-city has plenty of mouths to fill, without any useless ones. To us this may seem cruel, but we must admit that it is economical.
The duties of the workers are numerous. There are the water carriers, to supply the hive with water; the nurse bees, to look after the young ones; the foragers, who gather nectar and pollen. Then there are the builders, architects, undertakers, scavengers, chemists, and soldiers. Lastly there are the house bees and the ventilating bees.
Each bee is allocated to one or another of these trades, and each one seems to know exactly how to do the work, and always seems to be doing it! There is no quarrelling as to who shall gather pollen, or who shall guard the city, for all is arranged by some mysterious law.