THE ENEMIES OF BEES. 143 



if they know that only a feeble resistance will be 

 offered to them. Various means of stopping their 

 depredations may be adopted. The most radical 

 measure is to destroy queen-wasps in the spring. 

 They are the only ones in existence then, and are 

 considerably larger than their worker-daughters. 

 Again, every wasp's nest in the neighbourhood of an 

 apiary should be got rid of, by pouring gas-tar into 

 the entrances, and ramming earth over it. Thirdly, 

 by hanging a narrow-necked bottle of sweetened 

 beer near the bee-hives, many wasps will be attracted 

 to the liquid ; and, becoming surfeited and silly, will 

 be unable to escape, and will be drowned. A fourth 

 precaution is to narrow the entrances of the hives, so 

 that one or two bees can defend them. The sentinels 

 are able to master these their enemies in fair fight ; 

 indeed, the wasps rarely show any inclination for a 

 battle. They trust to their activity and boldness, 

 rather than to any real courage. The best preventive 

 measure is to keep the stocks of bees strong. It is 

 usually only the weak who suffer serious attacks 

 from their insect enemies. 



Spiders prove a nuisance and destructive, chiefly 

 by spinning webs into which the weary workers fall 

 when returning home, or into which they unwarily 

 rush on emerging from their abodes. Care in sweep- 

 ing away the cobwebs will remove danger from this 

 source. 



Toads are credited, or charged, with a love of 

 honey-filled bees, and may sometimes be seen watch- 

 ing their opportunity of making a meal near the 

 entrances, where they are said to pick up many a 

 dainty morsel with honey-sauce ready made. These 



