THE BEE. 293 



following advantages arc obtained : — First — the power of deprivino- bees 

 of hone}^ at pleasure, without injuring them. Second-ly — obtaining it in 

 larger quantities, and of finer quality. Thirdly — The means of a more 

 thorough ventilation, the keeping of the bees cool, and of enlarging their 

 accommodations at pleasure, and the power to control swarming at will. 



ENEMIES OF BEES.— These are far more numerous than their diseases, 

 and are as follows : 



Poultry, mice, toads, frogs, snails, slugs, caterpillars, moths, millipedes, 

 wood-lice, ants, lice, spiders, wasps, hornets. 



Fowls should not be permitted in any apiary. They will kill and eat 

 the bees, and such as they do not destroy they will annoy and disturb 

 — besides, your bees will probably occupy a stand in your garden, a 

 quarter whence other reasons should necessarily exclude poultry. 



Mire. — While the bees are vigorous, the field-mouse does not dare 

 attack the hive; but as the cold approaches, and the bees become less 

 active, he enters, and commencing with the lower conib, ascends by de- 

 grees as the bees become torpid, until he eitlier clears all away, or by 

 the smell of the honey he has wasted on the board, induces other bees 

 to come and plunder. As soon as the warm weather returns, the sur- 

 viving bees w'ill leave the hive in disgust. The remedy is easy. By 

 having your straw hives, if you use such, coated on the exterior with 

 Roman cement, you will prevent mice from nestling in the straw, whence 

 otherwise they would speedily eat their way into the interior, and by 

 narrowing the entrance of the hive in the manner already described, 

 you \\\\\ eifectually keep out these little intruders. If your stands be 

 placed on a single foot, or if the feet are so placed under the foot-board 

 as to leave a wide, projecting ledge, no mice can arrive at the hive. 



Toads will kill bees occasionally, but not in sufl^cient numbers to excite 

 our alarm ; but the toad is rather to be regarded as a friend to the bees 

 — one of their enemies, the spider, being his favorite food. 



FroSS may be classed with toads. 



Snails and Slugs. — These creatures are not absolutely enemies of bees, 

 as they have no design upon them or their honey in entering the hive, 

 but merely do so from accident. The mischief done by them consists 

 in the alarm and confusion they occasion. The bees first attack the 

 nnfortunate intruder and kill him with their stings, after which they 

 carefully incase him in propolis, effectually preventing putrefaction or 

 the ]M-oduction of maggots. 



CatPrpillars. — The most dreaded is tlie caterpillar of the wax-moth, 

 so calle«l from the ravages it makes amongst the combs as soon as it 

 obtains entrance. By having the legs of the stand placed as we have 

 already described, no caterpillar can climb up to the hive; but this will 

 not prevent the moth herself from entering and depositing eggs in the 

 hive; and so prolific are these moths, that a single brood would suffice 

 to destroy a whole stock. Periodical fumigation, and cutting away 

 such combs as contain the grubs, are the remedies to be adopted. Moths 

 are only nocturnal enemies. During the day you have nothing to fear 

 from their attacks. Let the entrance to the hive, therefore, be nearly 

 closed in the evening, and you will protect your bees from their ravages. 

 Columella recommends, as a trap for moths, a bottle, or other vessel, 



51 



