164 BEGINNER'S BEE BOOK 



closed. This will make it possible for the 

 guards to protect from prying bees from other 

 hives. If robbing once gets started it is hkely 

 to continue until the honey is all removed from 

 the hive of the victims. Such a condition often 

 leads to a general furore in the apiary, when 

 one hive after another is robbed until many 

 colonies are ruined. The beekeeper should al- 

 ways be on guard against robbing, as preven- 

 tion is far better than cure. 



If robbing has started it is easy to determine 

 the colony which is doing the mischief by drop- 

 ping flour on the bees as they leave the hives 

 with their stolen plunder. At the beginning 

 there is likely to be only one or two hives mak- 

 ing mischief. When the trouble makers are 

 located, to change places of the robbed colony 

 with the one which is doing the robbing will 

 often stop the trouble. Both entrances should 

 be made smaller until only one bee is able to 

 pass at a time. 



