POULTRY AND BEES. 509 



wlien a large number of these idle gentlemen are out airing. 

 As long as there are plenty of supplies the workers will allow 

 these worthless fellows to, live and eat their hard earned stores. 



Angust is usually the season of the second honey harvest. 

 The second clover crop and the buckwheat now furnish sup- 

 plies. Bees will sometimes so prosper on buckwheat as to 

 swarm again while it is in blossom. In other cases the supplies 

 will fail in this month, and bees will be tempted to robbing 

 other hives. This is disastrous, as bees once succeeding in rob- 

 bing another hive will seldom return to honest labor. Robbing 

 often occurs when the hives are first put out in the spring. 



If feeding is commenced and stopped before honey is abun- 

 dant, the weak colonies are likely to be robbed. In opening 

 hives and sprinkling bees Avith sweetened water or honey 

 water, a temptation is given to neighboring colonies, and an 

 attempt will often be made to rob the favored hive. A strong 

 colony with a queen will never be robbed. If hives are a suita- 

 ble distance apart, as we have recommended, the chances^-that 

 robbing will be atempted are decreased. A strong colony with 

 a queen will defend itself so vigorously against the robbers that 

 the attempt will be speedily abandoned. Thousands of bees are 

 however killed in these en30uuters, and it is best to keep all 

 hives Avell apart, all stocks strong, all colonies supplied with a 

 queen, all that are destitute of stoi'es in the spring well fed, to 

 prevent their making any attempt at robbing; and keep any 

 colonies that may be weak closed up when the honey harvest 

 suddenly fails. The blocks will enable you to so arrange the 

 entrance that but one bee can pass at a time. If you discovei 

 that a swarm is being robbed in spite of this precaution close 

 up the entrance entirely. The robbers will soon cluster in 

 large numbers on the outside of the hive. Now sprinkle them 

 with clear cold water and they will leave. The weak colony 



