732 



CtI^eantngs' in bee culture 



that they are constantly wonving on, hence 

 their frenzy to sting the former color." We 

 shall return to this idea later. 



It has been suggested that it is the rough- 

 ness or hairiness of the object which otfends 

 the bees and not its color. It seemed desir- 

 able to test this view by experiment. On 

 Sept. 15 I donned an entirely white suit, 

 including a white veil. On the upper side 

 of my right arm there was a band of black 

 paper so smooth that the bees could not 

 cling to it. When I removed the cover of 

 one of the hives, the tap, tap, tap, of the 

 bees against the black paper sounded not 

 unlike hailstones on a roof. The left white 

 sleeve was almost wholly unnoticed. As bees 

 have been observed to discriminate against 

 black feathers, fur, felt, glass, cloth, and 

 paper, it can not be the quality of the ma- 

 terial which provokes the greater number of 

 stings. 



We present two photographs, one of a 

 beekeeper dressed wholly in white, including 

 a white veil and a straw hat, and another 

 of a beekeeper in a black alpaca suit wear- 

 ing a black hat and veil. It is clear that 

 the black figure is the more conspicuous, 

 and offers a greater contrast to the general 

 landscape. The white figure contrasts much 

 less strongly with the grass, the water, the 

 sky, and the foliage of the trees; and yet 

 the contrast is greater than it is, in fact, for 

 the foliage of the trees in the photograph 

 is darker than in nature. In the ease of the 

 black dress the part on which the sun is 

 shining appears less dark than it is in real- 

 ity. Both photographs were taken in the 

 bright sunlight at 10 o'clock. Should both 

 of these figures threaten a home of the 

 honeybee, it is not difficult to understand 

 how the black clothing would attract the 

 greater attention. Put yourself in the place 

 of the bee. Suppose you heard the call to 

 repel invaders resound through the hive, 

 and you hastened forth, not knowing what 

 you would encounter. Would not that om- 

 inous black object challenge your attack? 

 Its very unlikencss to the colors with which 

 you were familiar would render it the more 

 conspicuous. Would you not " jab " it with- 

 out hesitation? 



The question was raised by a young friend 

 whether, if I woro a black suit with a white 

 band around my right arm, the contrast of 

 the white against the black would not be 

 very marked, and whether the bees might 

 not possibly sting the white band just as, 

 preATously, they had stung the black one. 

 While I could not see how this could render 

 the black any the less conspicuous, yet it 

 seemed worth trying. The natural expecta- 

 tion would be, of coiii'Sf\ that llie larger 



black surface would be more severely assail- 

 ed. However, I went down into the apiary 

 in a black suit with a white band of cotton 

 cloth, six inches wide, around my right arm. 

 When I opened the first hive, the bees at- 

 tacked my pants and sleeves, but not the 

 white band. This hive contained fairly 

 gentle bees. 



The bees in the second hive opened were 

 exceedingly cross. When I lifted the cover 

 the attack was really terrific. My pants, 

 sleeves, and veil were assailed in great num- 

 bers; but the white band was almost wholly 

 ignored. Some four or five bees penetrated 

 beneath my veil, compelling me to retreat. 

 But I could not rid mj^self of them. They 

 followed me to the barn and into it, and I 

 finally escaped only by throwing aside my 

 coat and veil. I had this same morning, 

 while dressed in white, opened this hive two 

 or three times without any special incon- 

 venience : but the black seemed to arouse the 

 bees to frenzy. 



If I could I would print it in letters a 

 foot long — Wear white when working 

 among your bees. I know of nothing among 

 minor matters of beekeeping which will add 

 more to your comfort and convenience. 



At first thought it might seem as though 

 black irritates bees in the same manner that 

 red enrages a bull. But the evidence proves 

 that this is not so. An angry bull will attack 

 a red garment lying upon the ground as 

 fiercely as when it is worn by a human be- 

 ing. Many a person, indeed, has escaped 

 injury by dropping a red shawl or a red 

 parasol. But a black garment susj^ended 

 from a pole in the apiary or thrown on the 

 ground receives no attention from the bees; 

 and they will gather honey from black paper 

 as readily as from white. Furthermore, the 

 anger of the bull against red is in no way 

 dependent on locality; but bees do not at- 

 tack black animals at a long distance from 

 the beeyard. Finally, since a black object 

 absorbs all the rays of light, the physical 

 cause of irritation, waves of ether, is aljsent. 

 Therefore, bees do not feel any hostility to- 

 ward black for its own sake. Black alone 

 will not excite their anger. It must be 

 accompanied by something else — namely, it 

 must be worn by a living animal or human 

 being near the beeyard, and the bees must 

 be angry, irritated either by the object m 

 black or by some other cause. 



And now in closing, just a word in regard 

 to Mr. Davis' idea that bees sting black 

 because it is foreign or strange to them. It 

 is true that black very rarely occurs among 

 our wild flowers, although some species have 

 black centers; and Bartsia, in Switzerland, 

 has black blossoms, while black pansies and 



