The worker bees hatch from the egg in 21 days, in ordinary circumstances. They do duty about the inside for a week, before attempting a ?ight outside. About the seventh day, in the after noon, they take their first ?ight, coming back home after having made the acquaintance of the surroundings, and remaining another week indoors. It is therefore only after 2 weeks of insect life, 5 weeks from the laying of the egg, that the worker becomes a field bee and begins to harvest honey. This is im portant to know, if we wish to get our force of honey harvesters at the right time. The worker does not live long in the busy season. Previous to the introduction of the Italian bee in apiaries of common bees, it was difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain how long a worker lives. The introduction of Italian bees has helped solve this problem in a positive manner.