220 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



If a weak colony is attacked, I may sometimes take 

 it away, but if I do, I immediately put in its place an 

 empty hive in which I put some scraps of comb contain- 

 ing a little honey. They will rob this out and that will 

 he the end of it. It is possible that dry comb without 

 any honey might answer. 



ROBBING, FAULT OF BEE-KEEPER. 



Except in case of queenless colonies, I am somewhat 

 of the opinion that most cases of robbing have been 

 through my own carelessness. When there is nothing 

 to do in the fields, the bees may be seen busily trying to 

 enter cracks about hives so small that there is no possi- 

 bility of their entering, and they are sharp to observe 

 any change. If, at such times, a fresh opening be left 

 anyw^here about a hive, it is sure to be discovered. An 

 entrance at the top of brood-chamber, at the back end, 

 may be left open all the season without being disturbed by 

 robbers. But if it has been kept closed until a time when 

 robbers are troublesome, and then opened, whether it be 

 that the robbers are stirred up by seeing the change, or 

 whether the bees of the colony are not in the habit of 

 protecting themselves in that quarter, the robbers are 

 pretty sure to give the new entrance especial attention ; 

 and if the colony be not very strong there may be serious 

 trouble. 



STARTING ROBBING BY FEEDING. 



As feeding is done only in a time of scarcity, it is 

 one of the most common causes of robbing among care- 

 less bee-keepers. When general feeding is done with 

 Miller feeders, there is little danger, no matter what time 

 of day the work is done ; but if some weak colony is short 

 of stores, I try to be somewhat careful to do nothing 

 to attract especial attention to it. I have sometimes fed 

 at night, and so far as convenient prefer to feed late in 

 the day, but convenience does not always allow it. 



