FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



221 



One time I found a colony at the close of the honey 

 harvest, by some means about at the point of starvation. 

 A\'ith more carelessness than was excusable. I gave them, 

 I think in the forenoon, two or three combs filled with 

 sugar syrup. Some time after, I happened to look to- 

 ward that end of the apiary and saw what looked like a 

 swarm. The bees had become excited over their new- 

 found stores ; the robber-bees had joined in and the bees 



Fig- 73- — Miller Tent-Escape. 



of the colony seemed to think forage was so plentiful 

 that it wasn't worth while to be mean about it, there was 

 enough for all ; so the robbers were doing a land-office 

 business without let or hindrance. 



STOPPING ROBBIXG WITH WET HAY. 



I closed the entrances of the other hives in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood, so that only two or three bees: 

 could pass at a time, and then threw a lot of loose, wet 

 hay at the entrance of the besieged hive. 



